The first Japan Karate Association (JKA) World Championships to be held in Ireland will take place at University of Limerick (UL) this weekend.
In total, more than 2,500 people are expected to attend the championships which begin at UL Sport Arena on Friday. Competitors from 58 countries are participating in week-long activities run by JKA Ireland on the Limerick campus before taking part in the 14th Funakoshi Gichin Cup which begins on Friday, August 18 and continues until Sunday, August 20.
This event takes place outside Japan just once every six years and has previously been held in Australia and Taiwan.
Tournaments take place on Friday and Saturday with an opening ceremony being held on Sunday morning, August 20,before the final competition. This event will be attended by: Mayor of Limerick City and County, Councillor Stephen Keary;and, representatives of JKA Ireland and JKA Japan.
JKA Ireland was founded in the early 1970s by Corkman Sensei Noel Casey, who has played a significant role in bringing karate in Ireland to a world-class standard.
The event in numbers
- Estimated 8,000 bed nights in Limerick City and County
- 800 mats to make up eight tatamis (fighting mats used for competition)
- 2,400 bottles of water