Riga is set to host a European full-contact karate competition on a scale never before seen in Latvia - the European Championships for juniors (U16), Youth (U21) and Adults in the Open Weight category, and the European qualifying tournament for the World Championships. Around 500 athletes from 24 countries will be coming to Riga.
The international sporting event will begin on 2 October, when athlete registration, weigh-ins and other pre-competition checks and procedures will take place. The competitions themselves will then be held on 3 and 4 October at the Daugava Athletics Arena.
The competition programme includes the European Championships for the U16 and U21 age groups, as well as the European qualifying tournament for the World Championships. The qualifying competitions will take place in kumite in the men’s and women’s open weight categories, as well as in the kata discipline.
In total, around 500 athletes from 24 countries will arrive in Riga. Alongside the athletes, the event will also be attended by more than 300 official representatives of national delegations, coaches, referees, media representatives and other accredited persons. The championships in Riga will thus bring together more than 800 athletes and representatives of international delegations.
This will be the first time that a European full-contact karate championship of this scale has been held in Latvia. Latvia has previously hosted international karate competitions at various levels, but a European Championship that combines the European Youth and U21 Championships with the adult qualifiers for the World Championships is an unprecedented event in the history of Latvian full-contact karate.
The adult competitions will be of particular sporting significance. The European qualifying tournament taking place in Riga will determine which athletes will earn the right to represent Europe at the 14th World Championships in Japan in 2027.
For Latvian athletes, the European Championships on home soil will provide an opportunity to compete in front of their own supporters, whilst the Latvian karate community will have the chance to watch Europe’s top-level athletes, coaches and referees in person.
The competition is organised by the Latvian Kyokushinkai Karate-do Federation (LKKF) in collaboration with the European Karate Organisation (EKO).