8 Arena Karate athletes have been selected to represent Team GB at the WTKA World Championships in Italy.

Road to Italy 2026

Eight Arena Karate athletes have been selected to represent Great Britain at the 2026 WTKA World Championships in Carrara, Italy. Follow their journey as they train, fundraise and prepare to compete on the world stage.

In October 2026, eight athletes from Arena Karate will travel to Carrara, Italy, to represent Great Britain at the WTKA World Championships.

Being selected for Team GB is an incredible achievement and reflects years of hard work, commitment and determination from every athlete. From our youngest competitors to our senior members, each has earned their place on the national team.

Unlike many sports, competing internationally is largely self-funded. Over the coming months, our athletes will be training hard while also raising the funds needed to make this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity possible. We hope you'll join us on our journey to Italy.

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About the Championships

The WTKA World Championships is an international competition that brings together martial artists from around the world to compete across a wide range of karate disciplines. Each year, athletes have the opportunity to represent their country and test themselves against international competition.

Selection for Team GB is not something that happens overnight. It is the result of years of training, dedication and perseverance. Behind every athlete are countless hours spent in the dojo, regular competitions, early mornings, late evenings and the determination to continually improve.

In October 2026, eight athletes from Arena Karate will proudly represent Great Britain in Carrara, Italy. Their selection is a reflection of their commitment, discipline and passion for karate, and they will have the opportunity to compete alongside athletes from many different countries while proudly wearing the Great Britain badge.

For our club, this is a moment of immense pride. We are honoured to see so many of our athletes representing their country, and we look forward to supporting them throughout their journey to Italy and celebrating everything they achieve both on and off the competition mat.

Supporting Our Team GB Squad

While representing Great Britain is an incredible honour, attending the WTKA World Championships is largely self-funded. The cost of travel, accommodation, competition entry fees, team kit and other essential expenses can quickly add up for each athlete and their families.

Over the coming months, our Team GB squad will be working hard both on and off the mats, taking part in fundraising events and seeking sponsorship to help make this incredible opportunity possible.

Whether you choose to attend one of our fundraising events, make a donation, sponsor the squad or simply share our journey with others, your support will make a real difference. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps our athletes take one step closer to representing Great Britain on the world stage.

Thank you for supporting Arena Karate and our Team GB 2026 squad.

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📅 Upcoming Events

Our Journey So Far 🇬🇧 ➜ ✈️ 🇮🇹

📅 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.

🚧 More updates coming soon...

This page will be updated throughout our Road to Italy 2026 as our Team GB squad trains, fundraises and prepares to represent Great Britain at the WTKA World Championships. Thank you for following our journey and supporting Arena Karate every step of the way.

⭐ OUR SUPPORTERS ⭐

A huge thank you to the local businesses and organisations supporting our Team GB squad through raffle and tombola prizes, donations and other contributions towards our fundraising.

Every bit of support helps our athletes on their Road to Italy 2026. 🥋🇬🇧🇮🇹

Click on the logos below to visit their Facebook pages and show them some love! ❤️