Who is going to Wroclaw?

WAKO European Championships
October 22nd/October 30th, 2016, Maribor, Slovenia

WAKO European Championship (K1 Rules, Low Kick, Light Contact) is over and another great WAKO event came to an end. Next stop is Loutraki, Greece, where the second part of the WAKO European Championship, this time in Point Fighting, Kick Light Contact, Full Contact and Musical Forms will take place.
In Maribor we had 523 kickboxers representing 40 European countries.

Congratulations to all of the new WAKO European Champions, also to all kickboxers who succeed to qualify for the IWGA World Games 2017 in Wroclaw, Poland.
The most successful nation is Russian Federation followed by Serbia, Poland, Turkey and Italy.
During Championship WAKO Europe had a pleasure to host Mr Janez Kocijancic,  European Olympic Committee Acting President, who was very satisfied with organization and level of the competition. During his visit Mr Kocijancic had a meeting with Mr Roy Baker, WAKO Europe Acting President and Mr Borislav Pelevic, WAKO IF President. The main issue of the meeting was the inclusion of kickboxing in the next edition of European Games which will be held in Minsk, Belarus.

Opening ceremony of the Championship was spectacular with presence of many important guests from sports establishment such as Mr Janez Kocijancic, European Olympic Committee Acting President, Mr Bogdan Gabrovec, President of the National Olympic Committee of Slovenia, Mr Andrej Fistravec, the Mayor of Maribor, Mr Miroslav Cerar, CIFP Council member and Mr Dejan Zavec, boxing legend and former World Champion.
During the Championship, medical seminar was organized with the topic Injury Prevention and Kickboxing. The seminar had huge attendance of more than 100 European National Coaches and support staff.
WAKO Europe had its Ordinary General Assembly where all important decisions for future of kickboxing in Europe were taken.

As previously decided this Championship was qualifying event for European countries for participation on IWGA World Games in Wroclaw next year. Five days of competition brought us the very best of kickboxing. Many great fights, huge energy and desire from all participating kickboxers to reach their place for Wroclaw. Unfortunately there was no place for all of them. Only the best of the best got their tickets.
WAKO will participate in the next edition of IWGA World Games as invitational sport represented by only one discipline, K1 rules. The decision about including kickboxing was made by IWGA based on popularity of sport, especially its discipline K1 rules. It was recommended by Wroclaw Organizing Committee also in relation with the host country Poland which is very strong and successful in this exciting and world famous fighting sport.  

WAKO has a great expectation from the IWGA World Games. For the first time WAKO will be able to show to this important World organization the real spirit of kickboxing. We are sure that great skills, exciting fights, high quality of our top kickboxers will make IWGA to decide to accept WAKO as full member and kickboxing as official sport for the future.
In accordance with WAKO IF Board decision and qualifying system here is the list of qualified kickboxers from Europe (first, second and two third places):

photos by Marijana Pelević