In 1979 Italy was first represented by Ennio Falsoni at international competition. While he was neither one of the organization’s founders nor around in the earliest days he quickly became one of the most prolific promoters of kickboxing for WAKO. In 1981 he organized the third WAKO World Championships in Milano and later promoted another set of World Championships in Mestre in 1990. He has been famous for promoting various amateur and professional events in Italy ever since, most famously his Pascua del Budo shows.
Ennio Falsoni served as president of the global WAKO federation from 1987 to 2015 before he retired due to health issues. He was awarded the position of honorary president of the international, Olympic WAKO federation. He also was involved in karate organizations and the IKL, a professional kickboxing league with activities in France and Italy.
Photo: Horst Kalcher, Namibia.