Quebec karate tournament nixed after provincial lawyers realize it's against law

As head instructor at the Centre d'Excellence en Karaté du Québec, François Persico isn't the type to get caught off guard, but the abrupt cancellation of a major martial arts competition this weekend came as quite the sucker punch.

"It hit us, really by surprise," said Persico.

Karaté Québec announced Thursday that the Quebec Cup was postponed due to "confusion in the interpretation and application of the Criminal Code'' that makes karate competitions illegal without a provincial decree.

The weekend competition in Montreal was to be used as a selection event for the Canada Games.

However, the sport no longer has an exemption under the Code since karate is not on the Olympic program for the 2024 Paris Games, Karaté Québec said in a release Thursday.

While the practice of the sport is legal, the removal of the Olympic exemption and lack of a decree means a competition could expose organizers, stakeholders and athletes involved in so-called prizefights to the risk of punishable offences, the association said.

"The impact is huge," said Persico, who is headed to Turkey next week to accompany the national team to the junior world championships.

Normally, the Quebec event would help prepare athletes for the international competition.

Persico has a tournament coming at his own centre, and that too could be pushed back, but he's confident that the province, working closely with Karaté Québec, will find a solution soon.

Karaté Québec president Stéphane Rivest remains hopeful as well. He said his organization has been working with the government's lawyers since they first reached out about the issue on Sept. 30.

But progress has been slower than expected, given the recent provincial election and upcoming ministerial appointments,