AZERI KARATE TEAM BANNED FOR A YEAR AFTER INCIDENT WITH ARMENIAN ATHLETES IN LIMASSOL

Gibrahayer Nicosia 15 November, 2005. After an incident with Armenian athletes, at the opening ceremony of the Fourth World Youth Karate Games that took place at The Palais Des Sport in Limassol, the National Karate Team of Azerbaijan has been banned for a year from participation in all official games of the World Karate Federation, a spokesman of the Cyprus Karate Federation told Gibrahayer today.
The World Karate Federation Committee that convened last weekend decided to ban the Azerbaijani Karate Team after one of its athletes provoked and soon after was involved in a scuffle with an Armenian athlete at the opening ceremony in Limassol. The Armenian athlete was rushed to the hospital with a broken tooth. Both teams were not allowed to participate in the opening ceremony.
The Armenian and the Azerbaijani teams have left Cyprus after the Games and the official one-year ban to the Azerbaijani National Karate team will be announced within the next couple of days.
More than 100 countries participated in the Games.