The World Karate Federation has installed a new national federation for the sport in the Philippines.
No less than WKF president Antonio Espinos informed Karate Pilipinas Sports Federation Inc. president Richard Lim of the world body’s recognition of the KPSF during the WKF Congress on Nov. 5 in Madrid, Spain.
Espinos personally handed Lim the letter of approval, saying that the WKF Executive Committee gave its blessings on the affiliation of the KPSFI as the “new WKF national federation’’ in the Philippines.
“We are looking ahead to a very fruitful cooperation in the future with your national federation representing the WKF and its interests in the Philippines, according to our WKF Statutes and Regulations,’’ Espinos told Lim, a two-time kata Southeast Asian Games gold medalist and bronze medalist during the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games.
“I’m giving this letter to you and present it to your national Olympic committee, so the case of the WKF in the Philippines will be finished,’’ added Espinos.
With the WKF’s seal of approval, the KPSFI is now the legitimate body mandated to run the affairs of karatedo in the country, replacing the Philippine Karatedo Federation-NSA.
Given a fresh mandate, Lim said he would religiously follow the statutes and regulations of the WKF and vowed to participate in the tournaments sanctioned by the world body including the annual world championships where Filipino karatekas have not seen action for a long time.
“Our federation will also work on increasing the number of licensed referees, judges and coaches, something that has not been done for the past 17 years,’’ said Lim, a black-belter and the only licensed WKF international referee in the Philippines.
According to Lim, the KPSFI is now applying for recognition with the Philippine Olympic Committee.
