Hong Kong karate body to pay HK$1.58 million in compensation over unfair policy
Court slams Karatedo Federation of Hong Kong, China for imposing blanket four-month ‘freezing period’ on top members who switched clubs
Hong Kong’s top karate federation has been ordered by a court to pay HK$1.58 million (US$203,000) in compensation to three martial artists who lost their elite athlete status over an “unfair and capricious” policy that also led one of them to eventually abandon his sporting career.
The High Court on Wednesday ruled that the Karatedo Federation of Hong Kong, China, had contravened its own objective of promoting and developing the sport by imposing a blanket four-month “freezing period” on high-performing members who switched clubs.
The organisation is the only recognised local karate group to receive government funding to hold tournaments and select representatives for overseas competitions.
The federation’s controversial policy allowed it to rescind any endorsement given to individual athletes for the Hong Kong Sports Institute’s elite training programme on the basis of changing clubs.
The court heard that the measure meant former professional athlete Law Chin-pang had his referral to the programme withdrawn in 2015 after he was released by his original karate club.
He lost a monthly grant of more than HK$11,000 and training support at the institute as a result.