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AFP
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Karate may be more popular than judo and taekwondo,
but unlike its martial arts cousins, it is not an Olympic
sport.
However all that may change at the 117th IOC
Session in Singapore.
116 International Olympic Committee members
gather to vote, one sport at a time, which of the current
28 Olympic sports should be dropped from the 2012 Games.
If any are thrown out, they will pick from a
list of five sports to replace it.
Karate is one of the sports to be assessed for possible inclusion
in the 2012 Olympics. Also on the shortlist are golf, rugby,
squash and roller sports.
According to the World Karate Federation, there
are more people involved in Karate compared to judo and taekwondo.
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More people practice karate than
judo or taekwondo.
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First Karate World Championships
was held in 1970 in Japan, 33 countries, 178 athletes
took part. The 17th World Championships held in
Mexico in 2004, saw 79 countries, 582 athletes
participating.
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Karate was introduced in many countries
as early as 1950 by Japanese masters but it was
a French man, M Henry Plee, who promoted the sport.
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Golf and rugby have been part of
the Games before, while squash, karate and roller
sports are still awaiting their debut.
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There are already 38 federations in Asia, with
six million people practicing the sport here.
Combine that with the 173 active national federations
worldwide in five continents, there are close to 11 million
people kicking for karate worldwide.
The World Karate Federation (WKF), which is
based in Athens, says it is confident karate will make its
debut at the Olympics.
"According to results which the IOC's programme
commission gave a few weeks before… we think that we
are in a very good position of karate being in the programme,"
said Dr George Yerolimpos, General Secretary of the World
Karate Federation.
He added that the Federation already has in
place a programme to promote and develop the sport in countries
that face difficulties due to financial reasons. The development
programme is now being carried out in Africa, Asia and South
America and East Europe.
Now there are major competitions like the European
Championships, the Commonwealth Championships, and the World
Championships where 80 to 100 countries are being represented.
But with judo and taekwondo already in the Olympics,
will the IOC allow a third martial arts sport?
Taekwondo which made its first appearance in
the 2000 Sydney Games, has been under pressure to make reforms
due to cases of impartial biasness and judging criteria.
It will be represented in the 2008 Beijing Olympics
but its place in the 2012 Games is not guaranteed.
If the IOC decides to drop taekwondo at the
IOC Session, perhaps karate will be able to muscle its way
in.
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