Dear members and friends, ძვირფასო მეგობრებო,

The Georgian national karate team is coming to England this month. The team competes at the WUKF European Karate Championships at the Canon Medical Arena in Sheffield, and Georgian athletes are on the mats on Thursday 22, Friday 23 and Sunday 25 October. The delegation is led by Gocha Surmanidze, President of the Georgian Union Karate National Federation, and includes multiple Georgian champions and medallists at European and World Championships. Among them is a young athlete who competes for Georgia in para-karate and is herself a multiple champion and medallist.

I have agreed with Mr Surmanidze that all our members are invited to come along and support the team on any of the three days. Sheffield is my home town, so it is doubly unlucky that I will be in Georgia myself that very week, and it now looks unlikely that we will manage an official BTA delegation. Members who do make the journey will be the Association’s presence in Sheffield, and the Federation has told me how much it would mean to the athletes to have our members there supporting them. If you would like to go, please let me know and I will send you the details I have.

The Federation also hopes to make connections in Sheffield, with Sheffield City Council, with local media and with others who may be interested in supporting Georgian sport and its young athletes, and particularly hopes to tell the story of its para-karate athlete and the growth of inclusive sport in Georgia. If you have contacts with the Sheffield media or with Sheffield City Council, please share them with me and I will pass them on to the Federation.

Invitation Letter from the President of the Georgian Union Karate National Federation