Karate has lost its Olympic status, and therefore the prospects for numerous high-quality and trophy-winning Montenegrin competitors are far from expected.
Our karatekas are winning medals, the national federation spent the year divided, with two - almost equal - camps.
Only a few votes decided that Toko Raičević would not be the president of the Assembly of the KSCG, and his candidacy "seems" to have made enemies. The former leadership managed to get the organization of the European Senior Championship, the second largest event in karate, and that is a great opportunity for promotion...
But both in domestic and in the largest bodies in karate, you "must not" make enemies.
"I have been a European karate referee for many years, I am a medal winner, but at the European Championship for Cadets, Juniors and Young Seniors I was "suspended" to sit on the bench for a full 24 hours. This caused enormous damage to me and the Karate Federation of Montenegro, because I am known as one of the best referees in fights," Raičević informed and added:
"I officially addressed the European Karate Federation with a series of questions to dispel doubts. The reason for the so-called "suspension" seems to be my announcement on one of the Montenegrin television stations, because I said that the president of the EKF, Antonio Espinosa, is old and that it would be better for our sport to have a younger cadre with greater ambitions. I no longer know what his motive could be. However, someone "from people I know" sent Espinosa that announcement subtitled in English. I sent questions and asked for explanations from the EKF, the Balkan Federation, but without an answer," says Raičević.
Espinosa is the president of both the World WKF and the European EKF federations. He has been at the helm of the EKF since 1997 and at the helm of the WKF for just a year less - a full 28 years.
"If the truth is the reason for the "suspension", fine, but I guess they should inform us in writing. We have our own professional engagements and I guess it would be right for them to inform us whether they are counting on me for the Balkan Championship, because I hold the title of EKF Referee A," concluded Raičević.
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