RANT!
I can’t believe it! I am sitting in the stands of the Budokan at the World Karate Tournament in Okinawa, Japan where over a thousand athletes have come to compete for the title of the world’s best in Okinawan Karate. I came here, in part, to see some great kick @$$ Kata. I have always liked the way Okinawans perform kata. It is with pure unapologetic power. I participated in the world’s 12 years ago and since then, the top athletes have become younger with more energy and focus. This is a long way since the partying atmosphere in 1997. Karate as a sport has certainly changed. I am here to witness these great changes and should be totally ecstatic but part of me isn’t.
It’s August 14th, 2009 in Naha and just a few hours ago in Europe, the International Olympic Committee came to a decision to exclude Karate from the 2016 roster. Karate has been on the short list of becoming an Olympic sport for around a decade and it has just missed the mark again. This time however, Karate lost out to golf. GOLF! Can it be even considered a real sport? I just don’t get it. Practicing Karate at its most basic level requires no special clothing, equipment, or even a field. Therefore it has no economic barrier. Karate is even an organized sport in the Congo. Kripes, even the world’s most popular sport of football (soccer) requires at a least a ball! Golf requires acres of manicured grass and therefore has a greater economic barrier in less affluent countries. Golf also has equipment cost a far greater than Karate and is also far less organized at the amateur level. Logistically, the same venue used for judo, wrestling, taekwondo, and boxing could be used for Karate and an Olympic champion can be determined in a couple of days. The same people who buy tickets for the existing combat sport would also support Karate.
I was so confident, I would have bet my last piece of sushi on earth that Karate would be the next Olympic sport. Thank goodness I didn’t make that bet! Instead, Olympic Karate supporters like me are eatin’ turf – again as it seems that missing out on the Olympics is par for the course for Karate. Four years ago, Karate had made the short list to be included in 2008 but the IOC then chose not to accept any new sport for the London games. Only 2 sports were going to be chosen for 2016 its selection process had already put rugby in the top spot after the first vote. Karate and softball were battling for second place and required a second vote to seal the deal. Losing to softball would not be so bad since its a sport that is practiced by all ages and has no economic barriers. Maybe the golf camp thought so too because the hours between the first and second vote was just enough time for Tiger Woods to make an announcement that if golf was in the Olympics, he would participate thus knocking out both softball and Karate.
So here I am in the land where Karate was originated. The island of Okinawa, Japan. While here, I can’t wait to see my colleagues from Okinawa, India, Australia, Sri Lanka, and of course Canada compete to be the best. While the young athletes fine tune their kata, I’ll be partying and meeting new people all over the world. I’ve made new friends and topped up my passion for Karate. Okay, Karate didn’t make the Olympics but I still have my new friends and our athletes will still become better. Perhaps one these athletes will become our own Tiger Woods of Karate world one day. So while I’m a little bummed out I am mostly proud that Karate doesn’t need the Olympics to be among the most popular sports in the world. Long Live Karate!
