English Karate National Governing Body Sets Historic Precedent for Karate Governance in England.
The English Karate National Governing Body (EKNGB) today announces a landmark moment for the sport, having formally signed a contract and entered into a working partnership with Sport:80, a leading provider of digital governance, compliance, and membership management systems.
This represents the first time in the history of karate in England that a national karate governing body has implemented a fully integrated, auditable digital governance platform specifically aligned to the Sport England Code for Sports Governance.
This historic step establishes a new benchmark for karate governance in England, placing the EKNGB at the forefront of modern, transparent, and accountable sports administration. The partnership demonstrates a clear commitment to meeting and evidencing national expectations around governance, safeguarding, integrity, and equality, diversity and inclusion.
Through the implementation of Sport:80, the EKNGB will, for the first time within English karate, operate a single, centralised system capable of evidencing compliance across safeguarding, safer recruitment, data protection, membership management, and policy oversight. This approach ensures consistent standards, clear accountability, and robust protection for participants at every level of the sport.
The partnership also marks a significant advancement in the embedding of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) within karate governance. Enhanced digital monitoring and reporting will support inclusive participation, fair decision-making, and transparent governance structures, helping to ensure karate in England is safe, accessible, and welcoming to all.
Speaking on the announcement, Dale Gamble, President of the EKNGB, said:
“This is a defining moment for English karate. For the first time in our sport’s history, a national governing body is operating with governance systems that fully reflect national standards and expectations. This partnership places safeguarding, inclusion, and accountability at the heart of everything we do and sets a new standard for how karate should be governed in England.”
Matthew Handley, Company Secretary of the EKNGB, added:
“This is not simply a system upgrade; it is a fundamental shift in how karate is governed. Implementing a platform like Sport:80 allows us to evidence good governance, safeguarding, and EDI in a way that has never previously existed within English karate. It is a historic step that protects participants and future-proofs the sport.”
This historic partnership signals a new era for English karate. By establishing modern, auditable, and nationally aligned governance systems, the EKNGB is laying the foundations for a sport that is safer, more inclusive, and better equipped to grow and evolve.
Looking ahead, this framework will enable clearer pathways for athletes, improved support for clubs and volunteers, stronger safeguarding and welfare protections, and greater confidence from parents, partners, and external stakeholders. It positions English karate to engage more effectively with national sporting bodies, funding partners, and international organisations, while ensuring decisions are made transparently and in the best interests of the sport.
Most importantly, this step future-proofs English karate. It ensures the sport is governed with integrity, accountability, and inclusion at its core, allowing karate in England to develop sustainably, attract new participants, and provide opportunities for the next generation of athletes to thrive in an environment built on trust, fairness, and excellence.
This is not just a milestone for the EKNGB it is a defining moment for the future of English karate.