Dear WUKF members,

We just finished the 1st European Championship for children, cadets and juniors in Constanta, a record of participation for a first edition: 34 federations and nearly 1000 competitors.

The Constanta Sport Hall was fully occupied by the competitors, officials, coaches, parents and spectators (see the photos and results of event on WUKF web page www.wukf-karate.org ), sometimes the management of the competition being very hard due to the big numbers of competitors and lot of categories.

 We have to recognize that we didn’t expect so many competitors, especially considering the short period after the World Championship in Odessa and the financial crises of whole the world. But it seems that there are no obstacles that could stay in front of WUKF Karate people and the right way of development of our organization is really appreciated by the members.

The competition was a premiere concerning the perfect friendship, the tolerance, sportsmanship and understanding of all the participants.

It is a good opportunity to congratulate all the teams for their behavior that could make possible a good and fair competition in Constanta.

It is nothing new to mention the very good organization that Romanian Federation offered to all, the high professionalism of the Romanian jury table team and of the staff that during one week worked very hard.

The reception offered by FRK to the Presidents and Referees was marvelous, an elegant restaurant with traditional food and drinks from Romania and a very warm climate among the participants.

The Farewell Party was panned at the fantastic Aqua Magic, but the weather conditions made impossible the party in open air. Very fast the Romanian organizers switched all to a very nice and modern discotheque, where all participants relaxed after the competitions. The discotheque was full till the final when the participants went back to the hotel very happy after this big WUKF event.

 The “chef of orchestra”, the president of Romanian Federation, Prof.Dr. Liviu Crisan had a hard job to lead the organization team to assure the synchronization of the activities that lead to a normal end of competition every day. It is hard to remember now that in Lido di Jesolo we kept the children into the sport hall since after the midnight.

We have to remark the high attention that the Romanian authorities showed to our event, the Sport Ministry, Mr. Luminita Placinta, the Sport Secretary, Mrs. Doina Melinte, the Director of Constanta Sport Department, Mrs. Elena Frincu and the representative of Constanta City Hall and County were present at the opening ceremony and during the event.

The opening ceremony was a really success, starting with the march of the teams from outside the sport hall, the parade of the participants into the sport hall and the wonderful folkloric moments offered by the local organizers.

Romanian organizers offered us some surprises; one was the excellent performance of the AFKA president, Mr. Jacky Detaille, a really fantastic artist that with his songs animated all the spectators.

The last moment of the opening ceremony, the artistic performance of the children from Dinamic Karate Club, the local organizer, leaded by Mr. Gabriel Popescu and Mrs. Brandusa Popescu, the soul of the event, was one of the best moment that remember us of the regretted Michael Jackson.

And they were right … “we were the world” in Constanta last week end!

During the days of competition the participants and the spectators were impressed by the demonstrations of the Masters, Sensei Jean Pierre Fischer 8th Dan and Sensei Giacomo Spartaco Bertoletti, 9th Dan and the honored presence of big Master WADO RYU, Sensei Kando Shibamori.

The last day of competition, the finals were for sure the most exciting moments, especially due to the direct TV transmission in Romania and on satellite. Kumite Rotation categories were the most appreciated and tensioned fights and we want to congratulate all the spectators for the very nice and sportive support offered to their teams.

The results, the nicest photos were posted on WUKF web page at the end of each days of competition, the press was very impressed to find all the information “just in time” on Internet.

 It is the normal way of work of WUKF team, where the modern technologies are implemented every day, where the respect for the members is the most important aspect of the activity.

Thanks for all participants, thanks to my Administrative Team that worked successfully there.

“Together in WUKF we can do the Best Karate in the world “

Osvaldo Messias de Oliveira

WUKF President