The WKF has published a draft calendar for 2022 ©WKF

The World Karate Federation (WKF) has published a draft calendar for 2022, with the organisation hoping for an increased number of events compared to the COVID-19 impacted schedule this year.

The governing body has tentatively scheduled five Karate 1-Premier League events in 2022, along with four Karate 1-Youth League tournaments.

Three Karate 1-Series A competitions are included on the schedule, with the circuit expected to return having been absent from this year’s calendar.

The United Arab Emirates is set to host the first event of the top-tier Karate 1-Premier League season from February 11 to 13.

Action is then expected to take place in the Moroccan capital Rabat from March 11 to 13, before Lisbon in Portugal hosts the third event from April 22 to 24.

Baku in Azerbaijan is due to stage the fourth competition from September 2 to 4, before Russia’s capital Moscow hosts an event from September 30 to October 2.

The WKF hope the Karate 1-Series A can return next year ©Getty Images
The WKF hope the Karate 1-Series A can return next year ©Getty Images

Karate 1-Youth League competitions are due to take place in Monterrey in Mexico, Cyprus, Porec in Croatia and Venice in Italy during 2022.

The WKF hopes to hold Karate 1-Series A events in Salzburg in Austria, Cairo in Egypt and the Chinese city of Hangzhou.

Hangzhou will also host karate competition during the 2022 Asian Games, set to run from September 22 to 24.

Karate will feature at the Mediterranean Games in Oran in Algeria from June 26 to 27, as well as the World Games in Birmingham from July 8 to 9.

The International University Sports Federation University World Cup combat sports are due to feature karate, with the event running from September 26 to October 16.

Continental Championships are also tentatively included on the draft calendar.

The full draft calendar can be accessed here.