TO ALL WAKO MEMBERS   The WAKO Athlete & Coach Corner will be active at the ADNEC Arena Abu Dhabi (address: Al Khaleej Al Arabi St - Al Rawdah - W59 01 - Abu Dhabi - UAE) welcoming you and your national teams from Monday 24 th to Friday 28 th November 2025 , during the next WAKO Senior and Master World Championship . Please come and visit to learn and share!

WAKO India Open International Kickboxing Cup 2026 We are happy to announce the upcoming  ‘5 th  WAKO India Open International Kickboxing Cup-2026’ .  The tournament will take place  from 4-8 February 2026 at K D Jadhav Indoor Stadium, Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, New Delhi, India.   Details regarding  ‘5 th  WAKO India Open International Kickboxing Cup-2026’  are being shared here:

North American Century Cup 25-28 September 2025: a celebration of excellence, sportsmanship, and world-class competition  With National teams representing Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, 19 teams from across the USA and 64 Canadian kickboxing clubs – the competition was a global experience.  The event brought together the full spectrum of kickboxing from Point Fighting to K-1.  The night show was a vibrant showcase of the diversity and unity in kickboxing sport. The Organizer was WAKO Canada, and the president Muzammal Nawaz said: "Over the years, WAKO Canada has experienced phenomenal growth – from our National Championships hosting 500+ competitors to our acclaimed Development Series events.  We’ve built a foundation for athletes at every level, and now, we’re stepping up the game. We as the organizers were deeply honored to have Honorable Neil Lumsden, the Minister of Sport, to officially open the event and personally recognized our national Team heading to the WAKO World Championship in Abu Dhabi in November this year. WAKO Canada is grateful for the support of Century Martial Arts and their President/CEO Michael Dillard who was on hand for the inaugural competition.  The North American Century Cup was created to elevate competition. Our teams of officials, medical staff, and volunteers delivered something truly special – and this is just the beginning. Thank you to all coaches, parents, and athletes for believing in our vision. Next year will be even bigger," said Mr. Nawaz closing the competition.

Meet WAKO’s accredited referees from around the world. Explore their profiles, expertise, and contributions to ensuring fair play in kickboxing. WAKO Referees Setting the Standard for Fair Play and Excellence The referees of WAKO are at the heart of ensuring fair competition and upholding the integrity of kickboxing across the globe. Our accredited referees are skilled professionals dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of officiating in every match, ensuring a safe and fair environment for all athletes. Name gender country Abdulaziz Yousef Alobeidli male United Arab Emirates Abdulaziz Alhammadi male United Arab Emirates Abdulzahra Al-Battat male Iraq Ahmed Al-Wuhaili male Iraq Ahmed Alsunni male Libya Ahmed Khashoei male United Arab Emirates Ahmet Tül male Turkey Akin Ortakci male Turkey Alali Mohamed male Syria Albin Musa male Kosovo Alen Afoio male Kyrgyzstan Ales Skledar male Slovenia Ali Hikmet male Turkey Allal Khaled male Algeria Ana Farias female Chile Ana Isabel Sordo female Spain Anan Meksawan male Thailand Anar Mammadov male Azerbaijan Andrei Majakov male Estonia Ani Minkova female Bulgaria Antonio Cerundolo male Switzerland Aydin Agabeyov male Azerbaijan Aykut Tikicieri male Turkey Azamat Sumambayev male Kazakhstan Bahrom Hudayberdiev male Uzbekistan Bao Yuan Wu male China Beata Sekowska female Poland Biser Georgiev male Bulgaria Bobirzhan Artykbaev male Uzbekistan Bunyaon Phengwuek male Thailand Carlos Patacao male Angola Cecylia Pudlicka female Poland Chayanon Awikunpraset male Thailand Choi Jae Hyeok male Korea Christine Felber female Switzerland Claudio Baccolini male Italy Czaba Orhalmi male Hungary Dana Abdulla male Iraq Daniel Vaglenov male Bulgaria David Ramon male Israel Deepak Siloach male India Denis Lahtikov male Estonia Dennis Viktor Beuster male Norway Dinmukhammed Mussabekov male Kazakhstan Dionysios Filippoulos male Greece Dominik Szymcak male Poland Donchai Thathi male Thailand Donchai Thathi male Thailand Dragana Vitkovic female Bosnia&Herzegovina Drioui Mohamed male Morocco Eddie Smadja male Israel Eduard Spakov male Lithuania Elif Celebi male Turkey Emad Sakher male Jordan Evgenii Musalimov male Moldova Fadhil Al-Ogaidi male Iraq Fahadeid Alshammari Male Saudi Arabia Fateh Mezine male France Fatima Rezaei female United Arab Emirates Filippos Papantoniou male Greece Filiz Pektas female Turkey Gabor Szabo male Hungary Gary King male Canada Geoffrey Aldridge male Great Britain Georgi Georgiev male Bulgaria German Germanov male Bulgaria Giuseppe Elisen male Italy Goran Simurina male Serbia Gunay Haciyeva male Azerbaijan Gurkan Sahbaz male Turkey Günter Ecker male Austria Hadjam Mohamed male Algeria Hakan Ozdemir male Turkey Halil Isik male Turkey Hassan AIYamani male Jordan Heejung Kim female Korea Henrik Matic male Croatia Hong Tao Pang male China Houhannad Nayroukh male Palestine Hristo Kalaydzhiev male Bulgaria Hristo Marinov male Bulgaria Huda Zergan female United Arab Emirates Hui Ping Lei male China Hüseyin Findik male Turkey Ibtissam Ahmoud female Morocco Imad Naouchi male Lebanon Irina Markova female Latvia Isabelle Jeannot female Mauritius Ivan Dercacenco male Moldova Ivan Jesic male Croatia Ivson Carmo male Brazil Jacqueline Walters female Canada Jan Frana male Czechia Jan Michalik male Slovakia Jana Bednarova female Czechia Janusz Wielgosz male Poland Jaouad Andaloussi male Morocco Jatuplon Rachplonsaen male Thailand Javier Alberca male Spain Jean-Louis Gaudioso male France Jiri Bel male Czechia Jurii Zubov male Ukraine Juris Bratchenko male Latvia Jussi Maula male Finland Kamen Slavov male Bulgaria Kamonwan Thanamok male Thailand Kanitcha Sonrach male Thailand Khaled Hajy male Syria Kostadin Kostov male Bulgaria Krasimir Dimov male Bulgaria Kriangkrai Noykoed male Thailand Krzysztof Kacperski male Poland Laklach Rachid male Morocco Lamina Abhab female Morocco Leonie Rosin female New Zealand Levent Tikicieri male Turkey Li Jian Wen male China Lyudmila Osinovski female Israel Mahammad Babayev male Azerbaijan Mahmoud Nassar male Jordan Maksim Akulsin male Lithuania Manar Younis male Jordan Marcos Goncalves male Portugal Maria Petrova-Ivanova male Bulgaria Mariia Kobyletska female Ukraine Maruf Aslanov male Uzbekistan Mashari Almansoori male United Arab Emirates Maytham Hasan male Iraq Mehmet Serhat Ozcan male Turkey Metin Bayram male Turkey Metin Erdogan male Turkey Michaela Kovacova female Slovakia Michel Lombardo male France Mimoun Jazouli male France Miroslav Gocik male Slovakia Miroslav Zahariev male Bulgaria Mohamed Almehdar male United Arab Emirates Mohammed Bouchenine male Algeria Mohsen Abdolrhim male United Arab Emirates Morne Lotter male South Africa Moshe Rubinov male Israel Mostafa Elrhannam male Morocco Muhammed Aidbis male Syria Munisa Qoraboyeva female Uzbekistan Mustafa Cuais male United Arab Emirates Mustafa Haji male United Arab Emirates Nader Geeth male Jordan Nail Degirmenzi male Turkey Naphatthamon Sirimat male Thailand Necati Simsek male Turkey Nedjo Bratic male Bosnia&Herzegovina Nikou Vasiliki-Maria female Greece Nurtac Kurada male Turkey Omar Badeiri male Palestine Orlando Rodrigues male Brazil Othman Eldjazairi male Algeria Ovidijus Dirzys male Lithuania Ozlem Akdemir male Turkey Pablo Medina male Chile Pairat Sangthong male Thailand Patrik Sundgren male Finland Peter Markland male Great Britain Pierce Mcgeough male Ireland Piyawut Mangkud male Thailand Pongsiri Kongkerd male Thailand Porjai Laithongkam male Thailand Pun Sa-ard-aium male Thailand Pushpendra Gurjar male India Qais Ababneh male Jordan Rachid Sahiri male Morocco Radoslav Petrov male Bulgaria Raed Al-Iedani male Iraq Rahib Ahmedov male Azerbaijan Rami Al Rashaidn male Jordan Ramy T.Said male Egypt Raouf Nousair male Morocco Rateb Hatahet male Germany Rene Cantu male Mexico Rimantas Dervinis male Lithuania Robert Gulyas male Hungary Roberto Scali male Italy Rocky Troutman male USA Roman Mozny male Slovakia Rukiye Ozkul female Turkey Ryu Chong Hyoung male Korea Sabina Giyasova female Azerbaijan Sahin Kocak male Turkey Said Gahouz male Morocco Saihi Mustapha male Algeria Salih Demirdelen male Turkey Samas Chantakloi male Thailand Sami Savo male Finland Sanjay Kumar male India Sardor Mirzalimov male Uzbekistan Saria Eldjazairi male Algeria Saulius Mingaila male Lithuania Selahattin Gür male Turkey Sergei Vladotsenko male Estonia Sergiy Buhaniuc male Moldova Serhei Sedoi male Moldova

Access the list of disqualified athletes under WAKO’s anti-doping regulations, promoting transparency and fair competition in kickboxing. Disqualified Athletes Here below you can download a document containing a list of persons whose punishment for the violation of anti-doping rules is currently running. National and International sport association in charge, as well as WADA, can request data of persons whose punishment for violation of anti-doping rules has expired, in accordance with Law. Disqualified Athletes_update 25.07.2025.pdf

Explore the dynamic world of kickboxing, blending traditional martial arts with modern athleticism. Learn about WAKO’s seven competitive disciplines. Why We Stand Out Kickboxing is not just another combat sport—it’s a dynamic blend of traditional martial arts and modern athleticism. What sets kickboxing apart is its unique Western adaptation of Eastern martial arts, creating a sport that caters to everyone, whether you’re aiming for high-level competition or simply looking to boost your fitness. At its core, kickboxing is designed to improve your health, strength, and endurance, offering both physical and mental challenges. WAKO kickboxing takes this even further, with a diverse range of seven competitive disciplines that test a wide variety of skills. We offer three ring disciplines and four tatami disciplines, each with its own unique flavor and set of rules: Ring Disciplines: Full Contact, Low Kick, K-1 Rules In our ring disciplines, bouts take place in a boxing ring, where kickboxers engage in three intense rounds, each lasting two minutes, with a minute to regroup between rounds. The goal is simple: to outmatch your opponent using legal techniques delivered with full power and precision. This is where strategy, strength, and skill come together to create the ultimate test of endurance and combat ability. Tatami Disciplines: Point fighting, Light contact, Kick light and Musical forms (with and without weapons) In our ring disciplines, bouts take place in a boxing ring, where kickboxers engage in three intense rounds, each lasting two minutes, with a minute to regroup between rounds. The goal is simple: to outmatch your opponent using legal techniques delivered with full power and precision. This is where strategy, strength, and skill come together to create the ultimate test of endurance and combat ability. Global Reach and Influence Today, WAKO is a truly global organization, representing 135 affiliated nations across five continents. Of these, 106 countries are officially recognized by their respective National Olympic Committees or Government Sports Authorities. With over 4 million practitioners training in more than 40,000 clubs worldwide, WAKO has grown into a powerhouse of kickboxing, promoting biennial Continental and World Championships, along with numerous World and Continental Cups and Open Tournaments. Official Recognitions: A Testament to Excellence WAKO has earned widespread recognition from prestigious sports bodies around the world. Some of its notable affiliations include: IOC (International Olympic Committee) – Officially recognized since November 30th, 2018. GAISF (Global Association of International Sports Federations) – Formerly known as SportAccord. IWGA (International World Games Association). ARISF (Association of IOC Recognized International Sports Federations). FISU (International University Sports Federation). WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency). CIFP (International Fair Play Organization). OCA (Olympic Council of Asia). IWG (International Working Group of Women in Sport). Peace and Sport. Milestones in WAKO’s Olympic Journey A defining moment in WAKO's history came on November 30th, 2018, when kickboxing was granted provisional recognition by the IOC in Tokyo, Japan. This was the culmination of a journey that began in 2016 when WAKO applied for recognition as an IOC sport. The recognition was solidified on July 20th, 2021, when the 138th IOC Session in Tokyo granted WAKO full recognition, underlining its commitment to promoting and upholding the values of the Olympic movement. WAKO's continued growth and alignment with Olympic principles led to its shortlisting for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and confirmed participation in the 2023 European Olympic Games in Krakow. Key Achievements and Partnerships WAKO’s path to global recognition has been marked by several key milestones: 2005: Adoption of WADA anti-doping code. 2006: Merger with IAKSA and GAISF recognition. 2007: WAKO Asia becomes a member of the OCA. 2012: Initiated membership with AIMS. 2014: Joined IWGA. 2016: Partnership with Fair Play and Peace and Sport. 2017: FISU recognition and partnerships with the International Working Group on Women in Sport and FICS. 2018: IOC provisional recognition. 2019: ARISF recognition. 2021: Full IOC recognition and confirmation of participation in the 2023 European Olympic Games in Krakow. WAKO continues to evolve, aligning its growth with the Olympic Movement, integrating its values and principles into every facet of the organization’s policies and activities. As the world governing body for kickboxing, WAKO stands at the forefront of the sport, ensuring its development, integrity, and international success.