Pasay city: Close to 1,000 athletes from 56 countries are joining the Karate One - Youth League at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on May 14-17.
According to Philippines News Agency, the World Karate Federation (WKF) considers the Youth League as the largest global celebration of youth karate, bringing together thousands of young athletes from around the world. "We expected more entries and countries to see action in the Karate Youth League, Manila leg, but the present tension in the Middle East has deterred some countries from coming over," Samahang Karate ng Pilipinas Federation, Inc. president Richard Lim said in a news release Thursday.
He added that 140 referees and judges from 50 countries will also be around to run the technical side of the event, supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, the Philippine Olympic Committee, and the SM Group of Companies. "But despite these challenges, this is still a huge turnout for the tournament, and we are ready to roll out the red carpet and display our famed Filipino hospitality to all of them," Lim said.
PSC chair Patrick "Pato" Gregorio was pleased by the massive participation in the four-day competition, underscoring one of the major 2026 projects of the National Sports Tourism Inter-Agency Committee created last year by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. that he also heads. He noted that the budding karatekas from all over the world will likewise bring their families along, tripling the expected number of foreigners coming to see the country's sights and sounds.
"Once they are here, I surmise some, if not all of them, will spend their time - and money - to stay longer and explore the numerous attractions that our country has to offer," Gregorio said. "As we keep on saying, wherever we go and have an opportunity, properly done, sports tourism remains a major economic driver for our country. So, we would like to congratulate Lim and his team in advance for their thorough preparations in ensuring the Karate Youth League One is a major success."
He also cited the importance of hosting the event in fostering the development of karate at the grassroots and in exposing the local athletes' and coaches' high-caliber performances of promising karatekas from all over the world. A total of 31 categories in both kumite (sparring) and kata (forms) will be contested in Under-14 (12 to 13 years old), Cadets (14 to 15 years old), and Junior (16 to 17 years old) in both boys' and girls' divisions.
