Mexico’s national sports authority, CONADE (Comisión Nacional de Cultura Física y Deporte), has confirmed that it has not granted recognition to any karate federation in the country, leaving the sport without an official governing body and its athletes in a state of administrative uncertainty.

In its most recent official communication, issued on February 27, 2025, CONADE stated that the legal and administrative requirements for recognition had not been met by any applicant group. The review process remains open, but no resolution has been announced since. As of July, no federation is formally endorsed by either CONADE or the Mexican Olympic Committee, a situation that continues to affect access to public funding and international representation.

“For now, no organization has fulfilled the necessary conditions to be recognized as the official national karate federation,” the agency stated. It further explained that some of the groups under review carry longstanding institutional debts and have failed to present clear financial documentation. “Recognition is not a political matter. It is based on legality, transparency, and full institutional compliance,” CONADE emphasized.

The lack of recognition follows months of growing tension inside Mexico’s karate community. Internal disputes within the former national federation, FEMEKA, and competing claims for leadership have only complicated the path toward official status. Among the most controversial figures in this conflict is Samantha Desciderio Olvera, who claims the presidency of the federation while also serving on the Executive Committee of the World Karate Federation. Her leadership is heavily contested and has been a focal point of athlete-led protests.

Despite these internal disputes, CONADE has made it clear that it will not base its decision on factional politics or public pressure.

“We understand the concerns of the karate community,” the agency noted, “but we will not accelerate or compromise the recognition process. Legal compliance and institutional responsibility must come first.”

In February, demonstrations erupted outside CONADE’s offices in Mexico City, with dozens of athletes and coaches calling for reform and demanding that CONADE refuse recognition to groups involved in alleged mismanagement. Protesters blocked traffic and held banners denouncing what they described as years of institutional manipulation within the sport.

As of now, Mexican karate athletes remain unable to access national training programs, public subsidies, or official international selection. Without a recognized federation, the future of the sport in Mexico remains unclear.

CONADE has not announced a new timeline for a decision. Until then, karate remains in administrative limbo, while the country’s athletes wait for a resolution that will restore legitimacy and stability to their sport.