Thousands of people will descend on Dundee next year as the city hosts the world karate championships for the second time.
The 11th World Karate Championships will take place next July.
The World Union of Karate-Do Federations (WUKF) event will bring more than 4,500 athletes, coaches, supporters and officials to the city from across the globe.
When Dundee hosted the event in 2018 festivities included an Olympic-style opening ceremony at the Dundee Ice Arena.
The city’s economy was boosted by £9.8m through the activities.
Next summer the arena will once again be transformed to host the event from July 13 to 16.
World Karate Championship in Dundee is ‘showcase for the city’
News of the championship returning to Dundee for its 11th year has been met with delight from the karate community and beyond.
Mark Flynn, Dundee City Council’s city development convener, said: “The last time the championships were here in 2018 almost £10m was generated for the Dundee economy and it provided a showcase for the city to encourage participants, family and officials to visit again as tourists.”
He added: “We are working closely with Dundee-based Kanzen Karate, Leisure and Culture Dundee and other partners to make next year’s event even better than the phenomenal success it was described as four years ago by WUKF World President, Dr Liviu Crisan.”
Other host cities include Dublin, Bratislava, Cluj-Napoca and Fort Lauderdale.
But organisers are determined to make 2023 the biggest and best event yet.
Roy O’Kane, chief officer of Kanzen Karate, said: “We are delighted to host this event once again in the City of Dundee.
“While the event in 2018 was a tremendous success, we want to make 2023 bigger and better for everyone involved.”
Roy added: “Dundee will once again open its arms in the spirit of friendship to the world.
“It is a tremendous opportunity for all karate participants to be part of something special.
“We look forward to working with partners across the city to ensure we deliver an outstanding event and we wish to thank Dundee City Council for their support.”
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