Date: November 23-25, 2018
Place: Budapest, Hungary
Organizer: Hungary Branch Chief Furko Kalman
European Karate Championship for U-16, U-21, Open Adults, and International Kumite Seminar 2018 Report
The host of the tournament: Shihan Kálmán Furkó 8 Dan, founder of Kyokushin Karate in Hungary. The main organizer of the tournament was Arpad Kalmar (Stabilitas Sport Promotion).
Patrons of the event:
– General Tibor Benko (Minister of Defence)
-Dr. Tunde Szabo (State Secretary for Sport)
-Dr. Laszlo Garamvolgyi (Police General)
International Patron:
-Shihan Koen Scharrenberg 6th Dan, EKO President, WKO Vice President
Categories of tournament:
1st Day: 24 male and female categories, the full-contact competition rules and individual kata category for U-16 and U-21 and team kata competition for adults
2nd Day: Open adults category for male and female competitors
Competition features:
The tournament registered 450 competitors, arriving from Europe, including a number of high class competitors from 25 countries: Andorra, Azerbaijan, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and Ukraine.
The tournament was highlighted by spectacular fights, beautiful kata, and demonstrations of Shinkyokushin Karate, Jujitsu, dance, music, and the series of events were enjoyed by the spectators.
The opening ceremony started with spectacular taiko drum, and then the competitors entered, and we heard the Hungarian anthem.
Arpad Kalmar, President of the Organizing Committee, presented the guests, and then gave a gift to the special guests.
The special guests of the tournament:
-Dr. Zoltan Apati (General, Ministry of Defence)
-Dr. Laszlo Garamvolgyi (Police General)
-Dr. Janos Meszaros (President, Hungarian Karate and Race Sports Federation)
-Shihan Koen Scharrenberg (EKO President and WKO Vice President)
-Mr. Romas Vitkauskas (EKO Vice President, EKO Board Member)
-Mr. Alexander Pichkunov (KWU General Secretary)
-Mr. Tsuyoshi Midori and Mr. Yuto Eguchi (Japan)
The tournament was an excellent preparation for the international and Hungarian competitors for the next World Championship.
The open adults category winner is:
Male: Valeri Dimitrov (Bulgaria, 18 times European Champion)
Female: Ivanka Deleva (Bulgaria)
Closing Ceremony:
After the high-level qualifiers and finals, the closing ceremony followed, where the best competitors received spectacular trophies.
The medal ranking:
U-16: 1st: Hungary, 2nd: Ukraine, 3rd Lithuania
U-21: 1st: Ukraine, 2nd: Lithuania, 3rd: Hungary
Open Adults: 1st: Bulgaria, 2nd: Lithuania, 3rd: Poland
All Results: 1st: Ukraine, 2nd: Hungary, 3rd: Lithuania
Media:
FULLCONTACT MEDIA: LIVE BROADCAST
Hungarian Main News Agency-MTI
Hungarian Main Television-MTVA
Sport1 tv channel: 50 million people in central Europe
Digi Sport tv channel
Echo tv channel
Civil radio
Sport FM radio
Dunakanyar radio
Superinfo-newspaper
Hungarian National Sport-newspaper and online
Sunday News-newspaper and online
Hungarian Budo Magazine newspaper and online
Hungarian Fighter Magazine-online
XLSport-XL fight online media
International Kumite Seminar-November 25th-Budapest-Hotel Aquaworld
After the competition, a kumite seminar was held with European and World Champion instructors: Valeri Dimitrov (Bulgaria), Paulius Klapatauskas (Lithuania), Muzaffer Bacak (Germany), Istvan Bodi (Hungary), Tsuyoshi Midori (Japan), and Yuto Eguchi (Japan).
The seminar was a great success, with nearly 100 people attending it from 12 countries: Andorra, Armenia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, and Ukraine.
