The popular figure at the heart of French karate has finally emerged victorious. In an election overshadowed by the long-standing influence of Francis Didier, Gilles Cherdieu clinched the presidency with a resounding 75 percent of the vote, bringing an end to Didier’s 25-year reign.

In a statement delivered outside the headquarters of the French Karate Federation, Cherdieu described the campaign as “a marathon.” Addressing a crowd of coaches and veteran practitioners, he dedicated the victory to “all the women and men who seek renewal and transparency,” vowing that change would begin immediately and that pride would return to French karate.

Christophe Pinna, world champion during karate’s golden era and Cherdieu’s former teammate, expressed his delight in an exclusive message to Sportsin. He praised the French karate community for managing, after two decades, to break through Didier’s empire in a transparent election:

“I want to extend my warmest congratulations to my friend Gilles Cherdieu on his election as President of the French Karate Federation. This marks the start of a new chapter for our federation, a real chance to bring back dignity, transparency, and pride to French karate.”

“One of the biggest challenges ahead will be rebuilding trust with the Ministry of Sports, the CNOSF, and all the institutions that have gradually stepped away over the years. Today, Gilles represents both the fresh start we needed and the hope our discipline has been waiting for. As promised, I’ll be renewing my license in France and once again sharing my passion here in my home country.”

Christophe Pinna

Who is Francis Didier?

Francis Didier gained international prominence through his presence at the highest levels of karate governance. For two decades, he held executive positions within both the World Karate Federation and the European Karate Federation, serving as a key member of the WKF Executive Board. As the federation’s sport director, he played a central role in organizing all WKF events and enforcing the policies of president Antonio Espinós.

Like many leaders in the karate world, Didier enjoyed what was essentially a lifelong presidency. Since taking office in 1999, he held onto the top job in the French Karate Federation until last year, when the French Ministry of Sports imposed a three-term limit on the heads of national sports federations. In 2024, using his considerable influence within the sport, Didier backed the candidacy of his referee-committee chief, Verfaillie, in a behind-the-scenes arrangement that would allow Didier to remain within the federation as a paid advisor after the election.

The controversial election, held between December 5 and 12, 2024, resulted in Verfaillie winning 56 percent of the vote. However, the French National Olympic Committee did not recognize the election and questioned its legitimacy. Despite this, WKF president Antonio Espinos publicly praised Didier and Verfaillie at an executive board meeting before Karate One Paris in January 2025, stating:

“We are grateful for the work of Mr. Didier in advancing karate in France and beyond. I extend my best wishes to Mr. Verfaillie as he takes on this important role, convinced that he will make an outstanding impact in Karate’s progress as the head of a leading National Federation such as the French Karate Federation.” Antonio Espinos

Antonio Espinos & Francis Didier

In August 2025, following investigations pushed by lawyer Sandrine Barbarin, who is also a elected director of the French Karate Federation, Francis Didier formally admitted to supporting Verfaillie. He confirmed in an official letter that the election had received full backing from him and had used federation resources.

Didier acknowledged transferring 15,000 euros from the federation’s accounts to cover Verfaillie’s campaign expenses, including travel, food, and hotel costs. He also admitted that the federation’s magazine, dormant for years, had been reactivated to promote Verfaillie. Brochures and leaflets for his campaign were financed entirely by the federation.

French media also reported that high-level dan diplomas were distributed to coaches to secure their support for Verfaillie, a practice referred to in the press as the “evil belt.”

Karate’s lost money

Gilles Cherdieu inherits a financial burden from the presidency of Francis Didier. The French Karate Federation reported a loss of 240,000 euros in 2022–23. That figure rose to 1.35 million euros the following year. According to information that cannot be independently confirmed or denied, the federation’s loss for the current year is believed to be 1.6 million euros.

The French Karate Federation is one of the highest-earning national federations under the World Karate Federation. In the 2023–24 fiscal year, the federation had 249,731 registered members. Each member paid an annual fee of 37 euros, generating revenue of approximately 11.7 million euros. Added to this was a government grant of 1.122 million euros. Despite this, the federation recorded a loss of 1.35 million euros.

Francis Didier previously faced allegations of financial misconduct in 2017. Reports have also suggested unrecorded financial transfers between the Isère Committee and the French Karate Federation, matters that need to be formally investigated