Former Prime Minister Suga: "Make Karate an Event in the 2028 Olympics"

Full-Scale External Activities After Retirement

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has embarked on full-scale external activities since his retirement last October to bring karate back to the Olympic stage.

According to the Mainichi Shimbun on the 29th, former Prime Minister Suga is leading a campaign aimed at having karate adopted as an official sport at the 2028 Los Angeles (LA) Olympics in the United States. Karate, a Japanese martial art originating from the former Ryukyu Kingdom, is characterized by striking opponents with hands and feet.

Karate made its Olympic debut this year at the Tokyo Olympics as a recommended sport proposed by the host city. However, it was excluded from both the core sports approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the recommended sports for the 2024 Paris Olympics, resulting in its removal from the Olympic program.

In Japan, a movement to reinstate karate on the Olympic stage in 2028 has begun, centered around the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's organization called the "Karate Promotion Parliamentary League" (hereafter, the League).

Former Prime Minister Suga, who was a member of his university's karate club, serves as the president of the League. At a League meeting held on the 14th, he said, "About 4 billion people worldwide watched (the Tokyo Olympics) on TV and the internet," adding, "The Tokyo Olympics became a stage to introduce karate to the world."

The Mainichi Shimbun pointed out, "The League's goal is to have karate included as a recommended sport in the core sports of the LA Olympics," and noted, "Although the League, led by former Prime Minister Suga, is enthusiastic about going to LA, realizing this dream will be a thorny path."

It also stated, "There are many challenges to overcome, such as how to increase the domestic karate population in a low birthrate environment and how to respond to competition with rival sports like taekwondo."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.