Lome, Togo, 07/11 - Togo will in August host the seventh edition of the karate championship for Zone III of the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa (SCSA) and the Union of African Karate Federations (UAKF).

Togo`s choice to host the 6-13 August event follows Ghana`s withdrawal as host, Togolese Karate Federation chairman Emmanuel Ramanou said.

Apart from Togo, karatekas from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d`Ivoire, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria and Liberia will take part in the competition.

According to Emmanuel Ramanou, the first two days of the event will be devoted to the training of referees supervised by an expert from the World Karate Federation.

As a prelude to the championship, the Togolese Federation held at the weekend a session to select athletes for its team.

The Federation has published a provisional list of 14 karatekas, including three women.

Togo also hosted the competition in 2002.