NICOSIA (Gibrahayer)–Azerbaijan’s National Karate was banned from participating in all official games of the World Karate Federation for one year–following an incident between the Azeri and Armenian teams–in which an Armenian athlete was rushed to the hospital with a broken tooth.
The World Karate Federation Committee decided on the ban last weekend after concluding an Azeri athlete provoked the scuffle between the two teams at the opening ceremony of the Fourth World Youth Karate Games in Limassol–Cyprus. Both teams were not allowed to participate in the opening ceremony.
The official one-year ban will be announced within the next couple of days.