Karate Canada have given their backing to the Canada Open Championships due to take place for the first time in June ©Karate Canada/Facebook

Karate Canada has sanctioned a new national tournament which will allow any karatekas from across the North American nation to compete.

The Canada Open Karate Championships has been established by Karate BC, a school based in Burnaby, British Columbia, with the first competition to be held at the Richmond Oval Olympic Arena in Vancouver on June 3 and 4.

It is set to become one of the sport’s largest tournaments on the continent with contests for seven different skill levels – elite, advanced, intermediate, novice, team kata, kobudo and Para-karate.

As it is an open competition, no qualification requirements are needed for anyone to enter.

A statement from Karate Canada said they were happy to sanction the tournament.

Karate will be making its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, but is already part of the Pan American Games ©Getty Images
Karate will be making its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, but is already part of the Pan American Games ©Getty Images

“Karate Canada is proud to endorse the very first edition of the new Canada Open Karate Championships, which will take place on June 3 and 4 at the Richmond Olympic Oval, in British Columbia,” their statement said.

World Karate Federation rules will be used during the competition.

Alongside the contests, a national record attempt will also be attempted as organisers are hoping to do the largest karate kata demonstration in Canada.

Karate will be making its Olympic Games debut at Tokyo 2020.

The sport does feature in other multi-sport championships, including the Pan American Games, where Canadian karatekas have won 16 medals.