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March 11 - The World Karate Federation has announced that, for the first time,r people with disabilities will get the opportunity to compete at this year's main Championships in Germany.
November 12 - Stoke Mandeville Stadium has partnered with the Disability Karate Federation to bring Karate to the community with a new KickStart 100 project.
By Duncan Mackay at Constantine Palace in St Petersburg
October 23 - Karate has vowed not to give up on its dream of joining the Olympic programme despite its failure to even get on the shortlist for 2020 following a controversial process which cost the sport €400,000 (£340,000/$553,000).
April 11 - The World Karate Federation (WKF) campaign to join the 2020 Olympics programme has received a boost after the national teams of Turkey, Japan and Spain, the three countries bidding to host the 2020 Games, pledged their support.
March 26 - Karate's bid to join the sports programme for the 2020 Olympic Games has received a timely boost with latest figures showing that the Official World Karate Federation (WKF) YouTube Channel has received nearly two million visits.
March 1 - The World Karate Federation (WKF) has revealed a number of impressive statistics from the 2012 World Championships that took place in Paris at the end of last year, with a total of 55,000 spectators having attended the five days of competition.
January 23 - Karate would be a welcome addition to the 2020 Olympic sports programme despite the fact that there are already several combat sports at the Games, the sport's leader has claimed.
January 3 - The World Karate Federation (WKF) have given their bid to join the 2020 Olympic Games programme a boost after confirming that they have now approved the hijab for all competitions.
December 19 - World Karate Federation (WKF) President Antonio Espinós believes that his sport will be rewarded with inclusion on the 2020 Olympic programme following years of persistent bidding to join the Games.
December 10 - Karate's bid for a place on the programme at the 2020 Olympic Games has been given a major boost after the sport signed a Letter of Intention (LOI) with the European Olympic Committees (EOC) to appear at the inaugural European Games in Baku in 2015.
By Tom Degun at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
November 26 - French Karate Federation President Francis Didier (pictured left) believes that the sport has impressed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in their bid to join the 2020 Olympic programme following the conclusion of the 2012 World Championships here.
By Tom Degun at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
November 25 - World Karate Federation (WKF) President Antonio Espinós has described the 2012 World Championships here, which are being observed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as the best ever.
By Tom Degun at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
November 24 - Karate's bid to appear at the 2020 Olympic Games has reached its most crucial stage yet as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) inspection team arrived to evaluate the World Karate Championships here.
By Tom Degun at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
November 23 - Tickets for the finals of the 2012 World Karate Championships here in Paris, where all the medals for the prestigious competition will be awarded, have sold out.
November 22 - The 2012 World Karate Championships have got off to an impressive start in Paris with 16,000 people in attendance on day one of the sport's showpiece event.
When British skaters Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean won the Olympic gold medal in ice dance at Sarajevo 1984 with 12 perfect 6.0s from every judge, for their interpretation of Maurice Ravel's Boléro, an important member of their team was singer-actor Michael Crawford. Crawford, who had played Frank Spencer in British sitcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em and the title role in the musical The Phantom of the Opera, had become a mentor to the pair in 1981 and went on to help them create their Olympic routine. Crawford said he “taught them how to act". He was present with their trainer Betty Callaway at the ringside at Sarajevo as they created one of the most iconic moments in Olympic history.
Reporting to and working closely with the Events Director – Technical Operations, the Head of Technical Officials is responsible for day-to-day management of the Technical Officials programmes within the Events Department, including:
Management of day-to-day technical officials operations including tournament assignments and planning;
Management and development of the professional technical officials workforce including referees, umpires, and tournament doctors;
Technical officials policy development through consultation with key stakeholder groups including commissions, panels, Continental Confederations and working groups;
Innovation initiatives within the technical officials area to enhance officiating accuracy and sport presentation; and
Technical officials pathway development including working with Continental Confederations and Member Associations on recruitment, education, training, and development initiatives.
Pierre de Coubertin once said cricket has "practically no appeal for those who are not British". While he expressed doubts about the Olympic viability of cricket, lacrosse and baseball, Philip Barker wonders how the man who helped revive the modern Games would have reacted to new sports at Los Angeles 2028.