The countdown is now written into the calendar. On 11 November 2026, the World Karate Federation and the Italian federation, FIJLKAM, marked 365 days to the opening of the final phase of the 2027 World Individual Senior Championships. The competition is scheduled for 11 to 14 November 2027 at the Chorus Life Arena in Bergamo, a multifunctional venue with a capacity of 6,000 spectators, under the host name Milano-Bergamo.

To coincide with that milestone, a WKF delegation travelled to review the state of preparations, which are being led by FIJLKAM’s karate sector.

An inspection visit in Bergamo

The visit was conducted by Marton Falusi, chair of the WKF Organising Commission, and Ivan Delfino, WKF Events Manager. They were welcomed by Davide Benetello, president of FIJLKAM’s karate sector and a member of the WKF Executive Committee, by Marco Scaramuzza, the federation’s event manager, and by representatives of the local organising committee.

According to the WKF, the inspection was intended to review the conditions of the event and to assess the work already done. The local organisers, for their part, pointed to the conditions offered by the arena and to the progress made in preparing the championships. At the end of the visit, the world federation said the inspection had confirmed “the strong foundations being established by the Italian organisers” to welcome the international karate community.

Partner

A final phase, after Tangier

The phrase “final phase” is not a flourish. Since the senior individual World Championships were separated from the team event, they have been staged in two acts. The 2027 Qualification Phase has been awarded to Tangier, Morocco, from 8 to 10 October. It is there, and across a two-year qualification period, that places for Bergamo are decided: 32 athletes per category, with a maximum of one per country, according to the competition system published by the WKF. On the tatami of the Chorus Life Arena, those 32 will first meet in round-robin pools, then in an elimination bracket, in kata as in kumite.

The previous edition followed the same design: a Qualification Tournament in Paris, from 17 to 19 October 2025, then the Final Phase in Cairo, from 27 to 30 November. On 13 October 2026, the WKF Congress meeting in Bielsko-Biała ratified Milano-Bergamo as host of the 2027 Final Phase — a choice already listed, in July, on the official calendar, and one we reported the day after the vote. For Italy, as we noted then, it will be a first: the country had never before staged the senior World Championships.

Hangzhou, next week

WKF president Antonio Espinós thanked the inspection party and the Italian federation, while already looking ahead to the Karate World Cup in Hangzhou, China, scheduled for 20 to 22 November — “next week,” he said in the WKF’s statement.

“I want to thank Marton Falusi and Ivan Delfino for their work in making sure that our athletes and fans will find the best possible conditions at this highly anticipated event. I also want to thank Davide Benetello and the Italian Federation for their commitment to ensuring that the 2027 World Senior Championships take karate to new heights of excellence.

“As we reach the one-year mark to the event, and while we prepare to experience another vibrant and memorable chapter in our era of progress, with the Karate World Cup in Hangzhou, China, taking place next week, the entire karate family can be proud of the quality of our events and the way they showcase the values of our sport, as well as the tremendous social legacy that Karate leaves in all the countries where our events take place.”

Sources

Photo: wkf.net

Also read