They are coaches of national teams, teachers of clubs, professionals or volunteers. They are the lungs of karate, the beating heart of practice. From today, we give them a voice in a series of interviews. How do they live the decision not to allow Karate at the2024 Paris Olympics ? What reasons ? What consequences ? What to do ?
7th episode with Stephanie Bel Lahsen, coach of the Hong Kong Kata national team. She also trains kids in Sarcelles, near Paris, and elite athletes at Team KP. She is quite critical but also inclined to hope, if some changes occur. An analysis with no concession.
By Florian Fournier
Photo : DR
What is your reaction after this announcement of February 21 excluding Karate of the 2024 Olympics ?
I'm not going to do bafflegab. I'm not too surprised by this announcement. Abroad, several people (coaches and officials) who have contacts within the IOC feared this possibility that karate would not be renewed in the Olympic program. This is not an absolute surprise.
Moreover, it is easy to see how far we have to go in our sport in organizational terms. Thanks to Tokyo 2020, some progress has been made but many things have yet to evolve on the international circuit.
Just speak with various actors and you will understand that karate has evolved towards constraints and requirements of professional type for athletes, referees and coaches but without any counterparts.
A lot of work remains to be done by the internaitonal institutions to support this evolution, which was done in an emergency, and to better support the actors who are at the heart of this system (athletes, coaches and referees).
Nevertheless, even though I am not surprised by this decision, the fact that karate risks (because it remains a chance in view of the various procedures and the agenda of the IOC) to no longer be Olympic saddens me and I hope that the instances of karate French would have been more convincing. Karate is a beautiful sport combining physical performance and tactical intelligence.
« THE SPHERES OF THE IOC ARE COMPOSED OF AN ELITE WHOSE CODES AND LANGUAGE MUST BE SHARED »
Does it question the organization for your athletes ?
No, nothing really changes ! My athletes fighting for a qualification in Tokyo keep going their journey to reach their dream. As for the others, the goal will be the same as before Tokyo 2020, to win a title of World champion. This announcement should not stop us ! Karate is on the program in Tokyo, it was not Olympic before, we did not know if it would be after. So, again, it's not a surprise and considering the way the Olympics take... The interest to be in them is less and less interesting.
The negative side is obviously related to the support of athletes and projects. It is easier to get sponsors and grants when the sport is Olympic and when the athletes prepare the Olympics.
What do you say to the kids you train in Sarcelles ?
For the kids, my philosophy remains the same : to become World champion is a beautiful goal, let's work hard for that ! The most important thing is to preserve the motivation of the younger generations, not to disperse, ad to continue to make them dream !
Let's not forget that karate integrated the Tokyo 2020 program through the back door : categories and number of athletes restricted, medals not available for the Olympic nations ranking... The lobbying to keep it in the program of Paris 2024 was titanic ! The spheres of the IOC are composed of an elite whose codes, language and reference framework must be shared...
