WKF CEO Sara Wolff Attends IWGA Annual General Meeting in Lausanne

WKF CEO Sara Wolff attended the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the International World Games Association (IWGA) held in Lausanne, where key decisions were taken for the future of The World Games movement, including leadership elections and the confirmation of the sports programme for 2029.

The AGM marked the election of Anna Arzhanova as the new IWGA President for the 2026–2030 term. She succeeds José Perurena, who has led the organisation since 2014, completing a 12-year mandate defined by strong growth and consolidation of The World Games movement.

During the meeting, Mr. Perurena received a heartfelt tribute from the IWGA membership and was named Honorary President. He has been a consistent supporter of karate and played an important role in strengthening cooperation between the World Karate Federation (WKF) and the IWGA over the years.

The full composition of the new IWGA Executive Committee was also confirmed. Among its members is karate icon Sandra Sánchez of Spain, who also serves as Chair of the IWGA Athletes’ Committee. Sánchez, one of the most decorated figures in karate, continues to represent athletes at the highest level within the IWGA structure, and showcases the influence of Karate within the organisation.

The AGM also officially unveiled the sports programme for The World Games 2029 in Karlsruhe, Germany, confirming karate as one of the core disciplines on the programme, reinforcing karate’s continued presence and relevance within the multi-sport event.

WKF CEO Sara Wolff said after the meeting:

“WKF congratulates Anna Arzhanova on her election as IWGA President. We are confident that under her leadership, the strong collaboration between the WKF and IWGA will continue, building on the excellent cooperation achieved during José Perurena’s mandate.

“Karate has enjoyed a solid relationship with the IWGA over the years, and our partnership has been instrumental in the continuous success of The World Games. I am sure this cooperation will continue growing in the years to come, and now, with The World Games 2029 in Karlsruhe ahead, we expect karate to once again be one of the standout sports, as per the evaluation report prepared by IWGA for the last World Games in Chengdu 2025, with Karate among the top 5 ranked sports .”

(Top picture: WKF CEO Sara Wolff and IWGA newly-elected president Anna Arzhanova)

WKF CEO Sara Wolff and IWGA Athletes Committee chair and Karate legend Sandra Sanchez

WKF CEO Sara Wolff and former IWGA President and IWGA Honorary President Jose Perurena

Karate icon Sandra Sanchez poses with the karategi that she used at the gold-winning participation in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 that is exhibited at the IOC’s Olympic museum  (Picture: IWGA)

Former IWGA President and IWGA Honorary President Jose Perurena received a heartfelt tribute at the General Meeting. (Picture: IWGA)