THE Malaysia Karate Federation (MAKAF) intends to send as many national athletes as possible to various international championships.
MAKAF president Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad said participation in international events expands exposure and elevates athletes’ competitive standards at the highest level.
He stated that the 40 national athletes competing at the Karate 1-Series A 2025 at N9 Arena here represent an excellent opportunity for both senior and development athletes.
Nur Azmi explained that MAKAF consistently strives to send large contingents to international competitions.
He noted that actual participation depends heavily on approval and allocated funding.
“If I want to provide exposure, I would send all athletes to every competition under the World Karate Federation (WKF), Asian Karate Federation (AKF), and ASEAN Karate,” he said during a press conference at the Karate 1-Series A 2025 today.
He added that certain tournaments are restricted to athletes with the best ranking points.
Nur Azmi acknowledged that MAKAF’s budget is not as large as other sports like football or sepak takraw.
“Even though the allocation we receive is not as big as other sports, we still try our best and work closely with the National Sports Council (MSN),” he said.
He mentioned that larger allocations are typically provided ahead of major games like the SEA Games and Asian Games.
This enables MAKAF to send more athletes to compete internationally.
The Karate 1-Series A 2025 was graced by the Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir.
His arrival was welcomed by Yang Dipertua Negeri of Melaka, Tun Mohd Ali Rustam, who is MAKAF patron and AKF vice-president.
World Karate Federation president Antonio Espinos was also present at the event.
The championship features 1,061 athletes from 84 countries, including the United States, China, Japan, Brazil, Algeria, Iran, and Malaysia.
Karate 1-Series A is the second-tier competition in the WKF league structure.
It offers world ranking points ahead of the World Championships in Paris this month and the Senior World Championships in Egypt in November. – Bernama