To define itself a “world” federation (in any sport … but in karate in particular) a federation should actually have registered different federations from countries on all conti
nents and seeing them taking part to its activities as much as possible!!This concept might seem obvious but, in the world of karate … it is not so obvious.Some international federations, in reality, are mostly European groups that carry out their activity mainly in Europe seeing, from time to time, the sporadic participation of a few athletes from single countr
ies from other continents!To date, apart from the WKF, they do not organize any Continental Championship,excepted the European one.IKU (International Karate Union), a constantly growing federation in the international karate field, has taken the path (far more difficult and economically more burdensome) of seeking and involving different federations (one for each affiliated country … we remember with pride …) from different continents, in order to assure a truly “global” credibility to the activities it organizes. Moreover, IKU is the only world karate organization having a … non European President!!Also the choice, to hold the 2018 European Championship in Russia (a country recently “little” used by other organizations) and above all, to organize the next World Championships in Brazil in October 2019 (with many bureaucratic difficulties and with “certainly
higher” costs) demonstrates a different global “vocation”, chosen by the IKU management, compared to the “comfort” and the “numbers” that a competition in our old continent could have guaranteed.According to this strategy, Dr. Stefano Pucci, FIK Vice President, appointed by the IKU Board to this difficult and demanding task, continues to travel, on a monthly basis, all over the world; he is the IKU Ambassador in the world.As a slow but unstoppable process, the results are coming, having increased the actually active countries of IKU to over forty,from four different continents.”It is a very stressful job but it is giving me a lot of satisfaction – Stefano Pucci says – all my travels must first be “prepared” with phone calls, interviews, e-mails with the various managers of the different organizations and then examined by the World President Gilles Willemin and by the General Secretary Riccardo Mosco and approved by the Board. “In the last year, the following federations have joined the IKU: the IKU Bangla Desh of M ° Abdul Kalam Azad, the Federacion Cubana de luchas de todas rondas of M ° Horia Mireya Orta, the KIME Shotokan Association Hungary of M ° Ferst Norbert, the Traditional karate-do fede
ration Iran of Master Amir Mahadavi, the Okinawa Freestyle martial art Malaysia of Master Eme Maya Hari Sing, Nepal karate union of Master Dinesh Sarma, the GCV karate Portugal of Maestro Fernado da Silva, the Tradicional Shotokan Republica Dominicana of M ° Tony Baez, USBA USA of M ° Jonas Correas, Union Venezuelan karate do of M ° Noe Saul Rodriguez, the Pakistan Shotokan federation of M ° Muhammad Arslan, Fudokikai karate all style of Ghana by M ° Samuel Nii Ayeetey Mensah, and the Senegalese Sports Association of Karate of M ° Mamadou Ngom.Furthermore, Dr. Stefano Pucci helped to organize and held technical courses on the
new IKU competition rules during the Pan-Asian IKU championships held in New Dehli / India last November, and at the Pan-American Championships held in Joao Pessoa / Brasil last August.In 2020 the Continental Championships have already been scheduled in Oradea / Romania (European Championship), in Katmandu / Nepal (Asian Championship), Dakar / Senegal (Pan-African Championship) and in Buenos Aires / Argentina (Pan-American Championship).”At present – Stefano Pucci concludes – IKU does not yet have affiliated federations in Oceania but, I gu
arantee that …… we are working on it !!! “.
