Karate India Organisation was never recognised as NSF: IOA

The Indian Olympic Association on Monday banned the Karate India Organisation (KIO) on grounds of misgovernance and unauthorised team selection.

The IOA, in a letter dated June 1, 2026, directed KIO to refrain from conducting or organising National Championship and from selecting, fielding, nominating or purporting to represent Indian teams or athletes in any international competition without lawful authorisation.

The move is likely to impact India’s participation at the Asian Games. At the previous edition fo the Games, the organisers had refused to accept entries from India. The team was selected by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and since KIO was not part of the selection the Asian Karate Federation did not accept the entries.

Meanwhile, the letter confirmed that “KIO has never been recognised by the Government of India as a National Sports Federation for karate under the provisions of the National Sports Development Code of India.”

“Consequently, KIO is not entitled to use the word “India” in its nomenclature, nor can it claim any status or authority associated with such usage, except in accordance with the requirements stipulated under Section 27 of the Act,” the letter read.

The development has come just three months after the Sports Ministry intervened and requested the IOA to form an-ad hoc committee in karate. The karate federation poses a different challenge as there are multiple bodies including All India Karate-Do Federation (AIKDF), Karate Association of India (KAI), Karate India Organisation (KIO), Karate India, claiming to be legitimate.

“It has been brought to the notice of the IOA that KIO continues to use the word “India” in its nomenclature and is conducting or proposing to conduct National Championships in various categories. We understand that a bulletin has recently been issued by KIO announcing a National Championship scheduled to commence on 4 June 2026 at Uttrakhand,” the letter said.

The IOA further clarifies that “certificates, medals and achievements obtained through competitions conducted by unrecognised bodies may not be eligible for recognition by governmental authorities or other institutions for the purpose of availing benefits under sports-related schemes and policies.”