During the World Championships in Kickboxing (Disciplines: K1, Low-Kick, Kick-Light, Ligh-Contact) in Skopje, Macedonia, WAKO experience a new record number of participating athletes. 823 athletes from 54 countries representing 5 continents are present. In total approx 1200 people will be involved. A new big sporthall in the center of Skopje hosts the championships and the atmosphere is fantastic.

Representatives from the 5 participating continents in WAKO met yesterday the Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski who also will attend the opening ceremony at the start of the championships on Wednesday 26th October. Today the General Assembly was arranged with the presence of presidents and delegates from the participating countries. The newly elected boardof directors for the next four years will be :

President, Ennio Falsoni, Italy

VP, Richard Leyrer, Hungary

VP, Espen Lund, Norway

VP, Borislav Pelevic, Serbia

VP, Nasser Nassiri, I.R.Iran

VP, Werner Sossna, Germany

VP, Horst Prelog, Canada

Board members:

Roy Baker, Ireland

Vadim Ukraintsev, Russia

Nikolaus Gstättner, Austria

Rene Boesch, Swiss

Driss El-Hilali Morocco

Salim Kayici, Turkey

Wuy Woong Mah, Korea

Kate Kocizewska, Poland

Emmanuel Essissima, Cameroon

Paulo Zorello, Brazil

Second part of the WAKO World Championships will be in Dublin, Ireland, at the end of November in the disciplines Full-Contact, Semi-Contact and Musical Forms. We expect about 700 athletes here as well.

Espen Lund

WAKO Vice-President

Sportaccord Council member