Russian Federation Of Daido-juku Karate Plans To Hold First European Championship

The Russian Federation of Daido-Juku is intending to hold the first European championship of this form of karate in Moscow. The federation's executive director Alexander Veselchakov has announced that two years will be needed to organise this large-scale event. The federation is also planning to hold an open youth championship in Daido-Juku in Moscow next January. Sportsmen aged sixteen and under are expected to come to the capital from dozens of Russian regions and even former Soviet republics. The ninth international tournament the Open Cup of Moscow will be held in April 2002. Representatives from the Netherlands, Portugal, France and other European countries have been invited to compete. President of the Russian Federation of Daido-Juku Roman Anashkin has announced that there are plans to grant this tournament continental status. A competition of this level is needed because of the increasing skills of European fighters. Sportsmen from Europe, in particular, Russia showed their class at the recent first world championship in Tokyo. The Russian team brought home two gold medals, three silvers and one bronze.