The third leg of the prestigious international youth Karate competition has begun.
The Karate One Youth League Manila has officially started at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on Thursday (May 14).
Sanctioned by the World Karate Federation, the four-day games will welcome 867 athletes aged 17 and under from 58 countries will compete in 34 categories for a chance to get one of the 136 medals at stake.
The third leg of the Karate One Youth League series m, which is hailed as the world’s most prestigious international youth karate contests.
It will take place at the said venue until Sunday, May 17.
This event was made possible by the partnership between Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), who sits as as Chair of the National Sports Tourism Inter-Agency Committee (NST-IAC), and Karate Pilipinas Sports Federation Inc. (KPSFI), among other agencies.
In a meeting last March, PSC Chairman Patrick Gregorio underscored the importance of pushing forward with the event despite global challenges.
Meanwhile, in a his message at the official launch event last February, Karate Pilipinas President Richard Lim said, “This is the first time that we are hosting this in Manila. We have hosted the Asian Championships and the Asian Cadets before. Now, we have the Youth League. Now, with the tournament, we are able to develop our youth at the grassroots level.”
For his part, Antonio Espinós, President of the World Karate Federation (WKF), conveyed: “The Philippines is a hub of karate in the region, and the excellence of the sport in the country will once again be showcased. This is the first time the nation hosts a Karate One Youth League event after successfully welcoming continental championships, and we are ready to witness an outstanding Karate event in Manila.”
“This tournament will not only reinforce Manila and the Philippines as key centres of karate in Asia but also provide young athletes with world-class competition experience at a first-class international sports event,” furthered Espinós.