A wave of protests over the electoral process of the Iranian Karate Federation has drawn significant criticism from Iranian karate veterans and insiders in the sport.
Houman Asgari, a candidate in the federation’s presidential election who lost to Hassan Tabatabaei two years ago, successfully challenged the results in court. In November 2024, the court ruled in his favor, citing evidence of electoral fraud and invalidating the election. This decision effectively removed Tabatabaei from his position, a role that had been recognized by the World Karate Federation.
Following Tabatabaei’s dismissal, Iran’s Minister of Sports, Ahmad Donyamali, appointed Mazda Soufi to manage the federation until new elections are held. However, Soufi’s past raises concerns. He previously chaired a regional karate organization in northern Iran but was dismissed from that position over allegations of document forgery.
Unlike many countries where sports federations operate independently, Iranian sports organizations are heavily influenced by political policies. Appointments and dismissals often require approval from the Ministry of Sports and, in some cases, higher government authorities. Therefore, candidates vying for the presidency of Iranian sports federations must first pass through the ministry’s vetting process.
Despite not being officially recognized as the federation’s president, Mazda Soufi has initiated various changes within the organization. These moves have sparked speculation that he may be laying the groundwork to secure the presidency for a preferred candidate. This strategy has faced significant pushback, leading to the resignation of two prominent figures in Iranian karate: Alireza Ehsani, Secretary of the Federation’s Technical Committee and the founder of the Shito-Ryu style in Iran, and Dr. Saeed Nikookheslat, Technical Director of Iran’s national karate teams.
MEETING IN DUBAI
Criticism of Mazda Soufi also extends to allegations of collusion. Shortly after Tabatabaei’s removal, Soufi, accompanied by Javad Salimi a referee banned for five years by the WKF met with Nasser Alrazooqi, President of the Asian Karate Federation. Such meetings have been criticized as undermining the principle of autonomy in national federation elections, a principle Alrazooqi himself is accused of violating.
At the global level, the World Karate Federation, led by Antonio Espinós, has faced growing criticism for its lack of transparent guidelines regarding national federation elections, affiliation and disaffiliation processes. Espinós, who has served as WKF President since 1998 without facing any challengers, also holds the presidency of the European Karate Federation. Similarly, in the Asian Karate Federation, Nasser Alrazooqi succeeded Taiwan’s Kuang-Huei Chang after Chang retired from his position.
These developments highlight broader issues within karate governance, both in Iran and internationally, as calls for transparency and reform grow louder. The coming months may prove pivotal for the future of the sport in Iran and beyond.
