Karate Legend Douglas Brose Appointed Senior Advisor at Panama Olympic Committee and Meets POC President to Strengthen Karate's Olympic Future

Three-time World Karate champion and World Karate Federation (WKF) Athletes' Commission member Douglas Brose met with Panama Olympic Committee President Damarys Young in Panama City in a significant step to strengthen the relationship between karate and the Olympic movement.

The meeting followed the recent appointment of Brose as International Senior Advisor to the Panama Olympic Committee, a role focused on supporting international cooperation and sports development. His new position further reinforces karate's presence within the Olympic community and represents an important opportunity to promote the sport and its Olympic ambitions across the Americas. The gathering was also attended by Panama Karate Federation President Eduardo Frías, who is also a member of the Panama Olympic Committee Executive Committee.

The discussions at the meeting focused on sports development, international cooperation, and future opportunities for collaboration between the Olympic Movement and the global karate community. President Young shared her vision for the continued growth of sport in Panama and highlighted the country's commitment to hosting major international events, including its bid for the 2029 Pan American Youth Games, following the successful staging of the South American Youth Games earlier this year.

These initiatives reflect Panama’s commitment to the development of sport and its growing prominence within the international sporting community, creating opportunities for future collaborations with international sports organizations and federations.

During the meeting, Brose underlined karate's global reach and its contribution to the Olympic Movement and highlighted the sport's universality and worldwide competitiveness. Brose also invited President Young to attend the upcoming WKF World Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships in Poland, where Panamanian athletes will compete, an opportunity to continue strengthening the ties between the WKF and the Olympic family.

Karate Legend Douglas Brose said:

"The meeting with President Damarys Young was very positive and reaffirmed the importance of maintaining close relationships with National Olympic Committees. Karate continues to demonstrate its ability to contribute to sports development and to the values of the Olympic Movement around the world."

"It was especially valuable to exchange perspectives on the global reach of our sport and on future opportunities to further strengthen karate's presence within the international sports community."

WKF President Antonio Espinós said:

"I congratulate Douglas Brose on this well-deserved appointment as International Senior Advisor to the Panama Olympic Committee. Throughout his outstanding career, Douglas has been a driving force for the growth of karate, particularly across the Americas. Champions like Douglas represent the values that make karate unique. The respect, experience, and dedication imbued in Karate that all karatekas can attest to contribute to building stronger links with the Olympic Movement, an important step as we continue working towards karate's future in the Olympic Games."

"I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to President Damarys Young for her support towards karate. As an IOC Member and President of the Panama Olympic Committee, she plays a key role within the international sports community. We are delighted that, following her meeting with Douglas Brose, she gained further insight into the remarkable progress of karate, the positive impact of our social legacy programmes, and the many values our sport contributes to the Olympic Movement. We look forward to continuing this dialogue and strengthening our cooperation in the years ahead."

(Top picture: From left to right:  Panama Olympic Committee President and IOC member Damarys Young, Panama Karate Federation President and Panama Olympic Committee Executive Committee Eduardo Frías, and Karate Legend Douglas Brose.

Three-time World champion and WKF Athletes’ Commission member Douglas Brose was appointed International Senior Advisor to the Panama Olympic Committee.

The three officials signed a cooperation agreement further to support international cooperation and sports development in the country.