More than 1,000 athletes from 31 African countries have arrived in Abuja for the 2025 edition of the African Karate Championship, which officially kicks off on Monday, July 21, and will run through Sunday, July 28.
The President of the Karate Federation of Nigeria (KFN), Silas Agara, confirmed the development during a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday, stating that athletes will compete in four major categories: Cadet, Junior, Senior, and Para Karate.
According to Agara, the cadet category will feature athletes aged 14 to 15, the junior category includes athletes between 16 and 17, while the senior and para karate divisions will involve competitors aged 18 and above.
“Today, we are happy to announce that most of the countries that registered for the championship have already arrived in Nigeria,” Agara said. “Officials from various nations are also on ground to provide technical support for the event.”
Agara noted that organizing the championship has involved significant logistical coordination, including accommodation arrangements, transportation of athletes and officials, and handling immigration protocols such as visa-on-arrival processing.
“As of the registration deadline on Wednesday night, we had 31 countries confirmed, with over 1,000 athletes and officials,” he added. “It hasn’t been easy managing the logistics, but we are on course and ready to deliver a successful tournament.”
In addition to the championship, Agara also announced that the General Assembly of the African Karate Federation will be held in Abuja during the competition period.
Meanwhile, KFN Technical Director, Dave Jegede, disclosed that Nigeria will field 60 athletes across all categories, expressing confidence in their readiness and medal prospects.
“We’ve been preparing for this moment. Since we’re the host nation, we made sure our athletes have had regular competition exposure through four national and two regional championships,” Jegede said.
“The athletes have been in camp and are in high spirits. We have African champions, as well as Commonwealth gold, silver, and bronze medalists among our 60-member squad. With our level of preparation, we are confident that Nigeria will perform excellently,” he added.
The 2025 African Karate Championship is expected to not only showcase top-level competition but also strengthen continental ties through sport and promote Nigeria’s position as a capable host of major international sporting events.
