Organising Committee ESKA European Championships
Dear Friends of Shotokan Karate, all Swiss karatekas warmly welcome you to Winterthur! We are happy and proud to host such an important international karate event. Tommaso Mini and his team have done everything to ensure your stay will be memorable. Over the course of 728 years, Switzerland has grown into a multi-national community with 4 official languages and numerous religions and ethnic groups. To the visitor, Switzerland might seem full of contrasts, but thanks to a direct democracy, in which every adult citizen is required to take part in one way or another, we have lived in peace for over 150 years. Although Mother Nature did not give us much in the way of natural resources, we were given the great will to fight through poverty – at a time when we were once among the poorest countries in Europe – to become a flourishing economic stronghold today. As well as innovations, the Swiss love traditions. For example, although our cows are internationally renowned for their robustness and productivity in terms of agriculture, there is actually a lesser known traditional competition in which the cows actually compete against each other to test their strength. For us Swiss humans, one of the most popular individual sports is called « Schwingen ». The history of this sport goes back to the 13th century and is similar to judo. Strong men, known as the “the baddies”, compete in a sawdust ring. The winner is the one who manages to throw his opponent over on his back. During the finals more than 60‘000 spectators a day enjoy this competition. So, given the fighting nature of Swiss traditions, it is no wonder that karate has gained such popularity across the country. More than 20‘000 active karatekas are split into several associations, the Swiss Karatedo Renmei (SKR) representing the largest Shotokan association in Switzerland.We are hoping for exciting, fair and accident-free competition in Winterthur and we hope you go home with great memories.
On behalf of the organising committee, I would like to thank the ESKA for the trust they have placed in us. We are very proud to once again organise and host the ESKA European Championships in Switzerland. The Covid restrictions in Switzerland and in most of Europe have been lifted, the current situation is stable. Let’s hope it will stay that way in the future! It’s with great pleasure and honour that we welcome the ESKA family to the beautiful city of Winterthur and to experience with you the best of European Shotokan Karate.Winterthur has everything an excellent host city can provide. The decisive factors in choosing Winterthur were its proximity to Zurich and Zurich Airport as well as offering a fantastic modern sports hall, all of which are easily accessible by public transport. We wish all participants and officials exciting competitions and a pleasant stay in our beautiful country.
As a member of the Organising Committee and the Local Manager of the ESKA European Championships 2021 it is my great honour to assume this role as being also a resident of Winterthur and to ensure that your experience in Winterthur will be unforgettable!
Winterthur is considered a city of sport and culture with a huge number of sport organizations and museums. The medieval heart of the city is full of life no matter what the time of day. Shops, restaurants, markets and festivals bring the charming Old Town to life and provide a meeting place for locals and visitors. Its pedestrian zone is considered to be Switzerland’s largest.
The championship will take place in the AXA-Arena. Its grand opening took place recently in 2018. Hence, a brand new sports hall with a fantastic infrastructure and which ensures a great atmosphere! The tennis hall behind the arena will be at disposal for warm-up and behind it there are two school sport halls reserved for training purposes prior to the start of the tournament.
Several best accommodation possibilities were reserved for you in order to make your stay as comfortable as possible. In addition to that, they are all in the city centre and easy accessible by public transportation and close to the AXA-Arena.
I’m looking very much forward to welcoming you in the city of Winterthur!