Three elite karate athletes win HK$1.58 million lawsuit against Karatedo Federation

Former elite karate athlete Law Chin-pang, along with two other elite karate athletes, have won a lawsuit against the Karatedo Federation of Hong Kong over the club transfer disputes, with the federation ordered by the court to pay HK$1.578 million in compensation. 

Law was expelled from the Ken Go Kai Karate Do Hong Kong Headquarters, a member of the federation, due to disputes involving his coach in 2015. 

Upon joining a new dojo, the federation imposed a four-month suspension on him due to regulations for club transfers. Law also lost his elite athlete status and membership in the federation due to the suspension.

The two other elite karate athletes, Christy Law Sam-man and Shu Ching, faced a similar situation and were suspended for four months over club transfers.

Law Chin-pang stated that the suspension disrupted his athletic career and prevented him from competing in the 2015 Asian Karate Championships, subsequently impacting his ranking at the Hong Kong Sports Institute. 

The decline in ranking had far-reaching repercussions, including the loss of access to professional training, counseling, accommodation, and scholarships, ultimately derailing his career as an athlete. 

Law claimed that his elite athlete status and federation membership were revoked solely because of his transfer to a new dojo, and not because of his athletic abilities. He highlighted that the funding and training at the beginners training program were much less professional compared to the elite athlete program. 

The defendant argued that the federation must prioritize the welfare of the organization rather than that of individual interests. They asserted that the executive committee approved the four-month suspension policy and implemented in adherence to the federation's regulations. 

Judge Au-Yeung Ho Wing delivered the verdict on Wednesday, noting that the unfair restrictions on athletes violated the purpose of the Karate Federation and constituted an overstepping of authority.

He ordered the federation to compensate HK$1.305 million to Law, and HK$198,000 as well as HK$75,000 to Law Sam-man and Shu Ching.

Law Chin-pang expressed his gratitude to the public for their attention to the case and conveyed his satisfaction with the court's ruling. He expressed the hope that this case may serve as a reference for future legal disputes for other sports.

(Updated at 7.44 pm)