The protests in Santiago have been ongoing for days now, having left 18 dead already. Wednesday was no different after a general strike was declared. The Luxembourgish karate delegation arrived in the Chilean capital to participate in the Junior World Championships in the middle of the political situation.
However, all eleven athletes (aged under 21 years) and their entourage had to be evacuated from their hotel on Wednesday evening after security risks emerged. According to L’Essentiel, the Luxembourgish team and other delegations spent hours in the hotel’s basement.
The situation was criticised by both national trainer Michael Lecaplain and young athlete Kimberly Nelting (Junior World Champion in 2017), who both slammed the World Karate Federation for being irresponsible in placing young athletes in an unsafe hotel.
After hours of waiting, with their families receiving updates, the delegation was assured safe. During the course of Thursday and depending on how the situation develops, both the Luxembourgish Embassy and the Luxembourgish Federation of Martial Arts (FLAM) will decide on how to proceed.
Ahead of the incident Nelting was in good spirits. A week before the championships kicked off, the tough competitor expressed excitement on social media.
