KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 18 categories will be contested in karate at the 2027 SEA Games in Malaysia, including the mixed team kata event, which is expected to make its debut at the biennial Games.
Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad, president of the Southeast Asia Karate Federation (SEAKF), said that all Asean member nations have agreed to the proposed categories, which were presented during the SEAKF executive committee meeting on Wednesday.
He explained that the introduction of this new event aligns with the global evolution of karate.
The category has already been approved by the World Karate Federation (WKF), though it has not yet been implemented in actual competition.
He added that this decision reflects the organisers’ commitment to ensuring that all participating nations are equally informed and provided with the same opportunities, without granting any unfair advantage to the host nation.
“We have discussed the full range of categories for the upcoming SEA Games, and all Asean representatives have agreed to the proposals, including the new event, which has received WKF approval but has not yet been put into practice.
“This is an opportunity for us to be transparent with every nation. We do not wish to conceal anything simply to gain an advantage for the Malaysian team. All countries are aware of these discussions and have consented to the 18 planned categories,” he said.
Nur Azmi noted that the introduction of the mixed team kata event is also part of an effort to bring programmes from the WKF and the Asian Karate Federation (AKF) into the Southeast Asian region.
As SEAKF president, he emphasised his desire for all member nations to be involved in the development and implementation of programmes introduced by these international governing bodies.