Over 1,000 Athletes Arrive Abuja for 2025 African Karate Championship

Posted : 21 July 2025

No fewer than 1,000 athletes have arrived in Abuja for the 2025 African Karate Championship, scheduled to take place between July 21 and July 28.

Silas Agara, President of the Karate Federation of Nigeria (KFN), told newsmen in Abuja that 31 countries, alongside host Nigeria, would compete across four categories of the sport.

Agara listed the categories as follows:

Cadet: for athletes aged 14 to 15
Junior: for athletes aged 16 to 17
Senior: for athletes aged 18 and above
Para-karate: for athletes with disabilities, also aged 18 and above

“Today, we are happy to announce that most of the countries that indicated interest in participating in the upcoming African Championship are already on ground,” Agara stated.

“We also have officials from several countries who are here to provide technical assistance throughout the championship.”

He added that the federation had been on-site for the past week, ensuring all logistics were in place. He confirmed that accommodation had been arranged for the visiting delegations.

“As of Wednesday night, which was the official closing date for registration, 31 countries had confirmed participation, with over 1,000 athletes and officials expected.”

Agara acknowledged that managing logistics for the large number of participants has been a challenge, particularly in terms of accommodation, transportation, and immigration support such as visa-on-arrival processing.

“But I’m happy to report that we are on course,” he said confidently.

The KFN president also revealed that the General Assembly of the African Karate Federation would take place in Abuja during the championship period.

Meanwhile, Dave Jegede, the Technical Director of the federation, confirmed that Nigeria would be presenting 60 athletes for the competition, all of whom are highly motivated and well-prepared.

“We’ve been preparing in anticipation of hosting this event. We've held several national and regional championships in the buildup to keep our athletes in form,” Jegede said.

“The athletes have been in camp and are in high spirits. Among our 60 participants, we have several African champions, gold, silver, and bronze medalists, as well as Commonwealth medalists.”

Jegede expressed confidence in Team Nigeria's chances of delivering a strong performance and making the country proud.

Over 1,000 Athletes Arrive Abuja for 2025 African Karate Championship

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