Road to Italy 2026

📅 14 June 2026 - Team GB Selection Day

Our athletes attended the WTKA Team GB Squad Training and Selection Day, where they had the opportunity to demonstrate their karate skills and complete a series of fitness assessments. It was the first step on the journey towards possible selection for the 2026 WTKA World Championships.

📅 4 July 2026 - Team GB Squad Announced

Following a further Team GB squad training session, we were incredibly proud to learn that eight Arena Karate athletes had been selected to represent Great Britain at the 2026 WTKA World Championships in Carrara, Italy.

This was a proud moment for our athletes, their families and everyone at Arena Karate, marking the beginning of an unforgettable journey to the world stage.

📅 5 July 2026 - Fundraising Campaign Launched

With the Team GB squad confirmed, Arena Karate officially launched its fundraising campaign to help support the athletes on their journey to the WTKA World Championships in Carrara, Italy.

Over the coming months, the squad will take part in a variety of fundraising events, seek sponsorship from local businesses and organisations, and work together with the local community to help make this incredible opportunity possible.

If you would like to support our Team GB squad, please consider making a donation through our GoFundMe campaign or get in touch to discuss sponsorship opportunities. Every donation, sponsorship and message of encouragement brings our athletes one step closer to representing Great Britain on the world stage.

💙 Support our Team GB squad: https://gofund.me/4e170e24a

📅 13 July 2026 - Visit from the Mayor of Hadleigh

We were delighted to welcome the Mayor of Hadleigh, Councillor Zunaid Saiyed, to Arena Karate during one of our training evenings.

The Mayor spent time watching both classes in action and had the opportunity to meet several members of our Team GB squad as they continued their preparations for the 2026 WTKA World Championships in Carrara, Italy.

It was a pleasure to share our athletes' journey with the Mayor, and we are grateful for his interest and support as our squad continues to train, fundraise and prepare to represent Great Britain on the world stage.

➡️ Read the full story in our Latest News section.

📅 16 July 2026 - Visit from Priti Patel MP

We were delighted to welcome Priti Patel MP to Arena Karate in Coggeshall during one of our training evenings.

Priti met four members of our Team GB squad, Lloyd, Ben, Lacie and Aiden, and spent time watching the class in action while learning more about the athletes' preparations for the 2026 WTKA World Championships in Carrara, Italy. She also met the rest of the students training that evening and heard more about Arena Karate and our fundraising efforts.

We are incredibly grateful for Priti's generous donation of £200 towards our Team GB fundraising campaign and her offer to issue a press release to help raise awareness of our athletes' achievements and their Road to Italy 2026.

➡️ Read the full story in our Latest News section.

📅 16 July 2026 - Hadleigh Thrift Shop Commits £2,000 to Team GB Fundraising

Arena Karate is delighted to announce that The Hadleigh Thrift Shop has committed to supporting our Team GB fundraising campaign with an incredible £2,000 donation.

The funding will provide £250 towards each of the seven athletes included in our original funding request, together with an additional £250 to support Arena Karate and its ongoing development.

The donation is currently being finalised while the shop completes its banking arrangements following a recent change in management.

We are extremely grateful to the manager, volunteers and everyone who supports The Hadleigh Thrift Shop for their generosity and belief in our athletes. Their support will play an important role in helping our team on their journey to the WTKA World Championships in Italy this October.

Thank you for supporting Arena Karate and Team GB.

📅 20 July 2026 - First Team GB Fundraiser Announced

Our Road to Italy 2026 fundraising campaign took another exciting step forward as the first official fundraising event was added to the diary.

Battle of the Brains – Team GB Fundraising Quiz Night will take place on Friday 14th August 2026 at the Royal British Legion, Hadleigh. The evening will bring together family, friends and supporters for a fun night of quizzing while raising vital funds to help our Team GB athletes travel to the 2026 WTKA World Championships in Carrara, Italy.

This marks the first of several fundraising events planned over the coming months, and we look forward to seeing our local community get behind the squad as they continue their Road to Italy 2026.

📅 21 July 2026 - Italy Confirmed! ✈️🇮🇹

Today marked another major milestone on our Road to Italy 2026 as flights for the WTKA World Championships were officially booked and all Team GB acceptance forms were completed and submitted.

With travel arrangements now in place and the squad's places formally confirmed, our focus turns to the months ahead of training, fundraising and final preparations before travelling to Carrara in October to represent Great Britain on the world stage.

The countdown to Italy has truly begun!

📅 12 August 2026 - 💙 Another boost for our Road to Italy 2026! 🇬🇧🇮🇹

We’re delighted to have been awarded £500 from the Jeremy Willson Charitable Trust towards our Team GB fundraising campaign. 🥋

The paperwork has been completed and returned, and we’re now awaiting payment.

Every bit of support brings our athletes one step closer to Italy! 🇮🇹💙

📅 13 August 2026 - 🎪 Coggeshall Carnival & Our BIG Team GB Fundraising Raffle! 🎟️

Our Road to Italy 2026 fundraising campaign is heading to Coggeshall Carnival!

Come and find us at our stall for an Arena Karate demonstration, Slam Man competition, tombola, Spin the Wheel and our BIG fundraising raffle, packed with fantastic prizes donated by local businesses! 🎟️🎁

Come and have some fun, say hello and help our Team GB athletes get one step closer to Italy! 🇬🇧🇮🇹🥋

We’ll see you there! 🎪

📅 14 August 2026 - Battle of the Brains Raises £428

Our Road to Italy 2026 fundraising continued with a fantastic evening at the Battle of the Brains quiz night at the Royal British Legion, Hadleigh.

The event brought together family, friends and supporters for a fun night of quizzing and raised an incredible £428 towards helping our Team GB athletes travel to the 2026 WTKA World Championships in Carrara, Italy.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped organise the evening, donated prizes and came along to support the squad. It was a brilliant night and another fantastic step on our Road to Italy 2026.

📅 15 -22 August 2026 - Oliver & Aiden Take on the Sponsored Mile A DAY Challenge 🥋🇬🇧

Oliver and Aiden took on a Sponsored Mile a Day Challenge, completing at least one mile every day between 15 and 22 August, and they certainly got creative with how they completed them!

Over the week, they tackled their miles by walking, paddle boarding, cycling, dribbling a football, running and even pushed their Renshi Stef in a wheelchair for a mile! 😂

But perhaps the biggest challenge of them all was swimming 65 lengths to complete their mile! 🏊‍♂️😳 Definitely one of the toughest ways to clock up that daily mile!

Their determination paid off, raising an incredible £373 towards our Team GB fundraising campaign.

A huge thank you to everyone who sponsored Oliver and Aiden and supported them throughout the challenge. Their efforts show that fundraising can be fun, creative and challenging, while making a real difference to our athletes' Road to Italy 2026.

Every mile counted, and together they have taken another step closer to Italy! 🇬🇧✈️🇮🇹

📅 21 August 2026 - £1,000 Support from Hadleigh Town Council 💙🇬🇧

Our Road to Italy 2026 campaign received another fantastic boost when Hadleigh Town Council awarded Arena Karate £1,000 towards our Team GB fundraising campaign.

Support from our own local town means a great deal to the club and our athletes. This generous contribution will help towards the costs of sending our Team GB squad to Carrara, Italy, where they will represent Great Britain at the 2026 WTKA World Championships.

We would like to thank Hadleigh Town Council for supporting our athletes and recognising the commitment and dedication that has gone into earning their places on the Great Britain squad.

Another fantastic step on our journey to Italy. 🇬🇧✈️🇮🇹

📅 22 August 2026 - Drill & Grill Raises £226! 🥋🔥🇬🇧

What started as a chance for our students and families to get together for our Drill & Grill evening unexpectedly turned into another fundraising boost for our Team GB squad.

Thanks to the generosity of everyone who attended, we raised an incredible £226 towards our athletes' Road to Italy 2026.

A huge thank you to everyone who contributed and helped turn a great club evening into another step towards supporting our athletes as they prepare to represent Great Britain at the 2026 WTKA World Championships in Carrara, Italy.

Every pound really does make a difference. 💙🇬🇧🇮🇹

📅 26 August 2026 - £1,000 Awarded from Suffolk County Council 💙🇬🇧

We were delighted to receive confirmation that Arena Karate has been awarded £1,000 from Councillor Simon Dowling of Suffolk County Council towards our Team GB fundraising campaign.

This generous support is another fantastic boost for our Road to Italy 2026 and will help our athletes with the costs of travelling to Carrara, Italy, to represent Great Britain at the 2026 WTKA World Championships.

We are incredibly grateful to Councillor Dowling for supporting our athletes and helping us get one step closer to Italy. 🇬🇧✈️🇮🇹

📅 27 August 2026 - £1,000 Awarded from BRAINTREE County Council 💙🇬🇧

Our Team GB fundraising campaign received another fantastic boost this week with a £1,500 award from Braintree District Council.

We would like to thank Councillor Nathan Rollins, Councillor Paul Thoroughgood and Councillor Milli Finch for their support and for recognising the hard work and dedication of our athletes as they prepare to represent Great Britain at the 2026 WTKA World Championships in Carrara, Italy.

This generous contribution will help towards the costs of getting our athletes to Italy and is another important step forward in our fundraising journey.

We are incredibly grateful for the growing support from our local community and elected representatives as our athletes continue their Road to Italy 2026. 🇬🇧✈️🇮🇹

📅 6 September 2026 - Team GB Squad Training Day 🥋🇬🇧

Our Arena Karate Team GB athletes came together with squad members from other clubs for a focused two-hour training session as preparations for the 2026 WTKA World Championships continue.

The session focused on both Kata and Kumite, giving the athletes valuable time to train alongside other members of the Great Britain squad, develop their skills and prepare for the challenges ahead in Italy.

With the World Championships getting closer, every squad training session is another important step on the Road to Italy 2026. 🇬🇧✈️🇮🇹

📅 7 September 2026 - BBC Look East Visits Arena Karate 📺🇬🇧🥋

It was an exciting day for Arena Karate as BBC Look East visited the club to meet our Team GB athletes and find out more about their journey to the 2026 WTKA World Championships in Carrara, Italy.

The BBC team spent time at the dojo, speaking with members of the club and capturing footage of our athletes as they continue their preparations to represent Great Britain.

It was a fantastic opportunity to showcase our athletes, Arena Karate and the hard work that has gone into getting them to this point.

We can't wait to see the finished piece! 🇬🇧📺🇮🇹

📅 11 September 2026 - Team GB Featured on BBC Look East 📺🇬🇧🥋

Friday 11th September was a very special day for Arena Karate as our Road to Italy 2026 story reached a much wider audience, with the BBC Look East feature airing on television and the story also being published online by BBC News.

The feature gave viewers an insight into our Team GB athletes, their karate journey and the dedication that has gone into earning their places on the Great Britain squad ahead of the 2026 WTKA World Championships in Carrara, Italy.

It was a very proud moment for our athletes, coaches and the whole Arena Karate family to see their journey recognised by the BBC.

📰 Read the BBC News article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy0zvgv8xeeo

📺 Watch the BBC Look East feature: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY34jpoLCbU

Another very special milestone on our Road to Italy 2026. 🇬🇧✈️🇮🇹

📅 12 September 2026 - Coggeshall Carnival & Team GB Fundraising 🎪🇬🇧🥋

Arena Karate was out in force at Coggeshall Carnival, with our Team GB athletes Ben, Oliver, Lacie, Esmee, Lily and Aiden joined by Mal, Bryony, Julia, Elijah, Harper and Kiki for a fantastic day of demonstrations, fundraising and community spirit.

The team took part in the carnival parade, with Thumper (Stef and Kyle's camper van) decorated with Arena Karate flags and balloons, leading the way through the streets of Coggeshall.

Later in the day, the group performed a demonstration in the main arena, showcasing what Arena Karate can do to a packed carnival crowd.

The day was a huge success, raising an incredible £835 towards our Team GB campaign.

A massive thank you to everyone who supported us and helped make it such a memorable day. 🇬🇧❤️🥋

🚧 More updates coming soon...