MARTIAL arts athletes are being asked to come out and support a venture which will hopefully see the sport be included in the 2012 Olympics.

The Bermuda Karate (Kickboxing) Organisation, which is a local charity headquartered at the Bermuda Karate Institute, are actively seeking out those martial arts experts to train for the 2012 Games ¿ if in fact the International Olympic Committee agrees to allow the sport in.

Standing alongside BKI chiefs Skipper Ingham and his wife, karate instructor Kristina, is Dean Bottomley who is a US/Australian representative of WAKO (World Association of Kickboxing Organisations).

Bottomley, who is from the US but is in Bermuda working for a few years, said this week: "Right now kickboxing is in front of the IOC. It is being proposed as an Olympic sport and I imagine the IOC will be looking at it at their next meeting."

And Bottomley, who also lived in Bermuda a number of years ago when he was with the US Navy, said he wanted to see Bermuda represented at the 2012 Games if the sport is allowed in by the IOC.

"We hope to get full Olympic status in 2012," he said adding, "I am hoping that Bermuda kickboxers can be ready for the 2012 Olympics. It would be great to take a team to London but a lot needs to be done. Between now and then Bermuda must get a team together to train and also to compete in international events overseas. You need those competitions to prepare properly."

Bottomley has been a member of WAKO since 1991. In 2006 WAKO was recognised by the GAISF (General Association of International Sports Federations) as the voice for kickboxing.

He and the Inghams want intermediate to advanced students for team training building towards 2012 and instructors can also learn to officiate in the various categories of competition, which include light contact, semicontact, full contact, Thai and low kick.

"Kickboxing does envelope karate. It is not a hard thing to crossover. They will train in the fighting discipline they normally train in," said Bottomley.

Kristina Ingham of the Bermuda Karate Institute said: "Dean was our student (when he was with the US Navy in the 1970s) and he continued with his martial arts. He got in touch with us and said he would like to help us and have Bermuda participate in this area."

And Ingham said that Skipper and herself along with Bottomley plan to go to the WAKO Worlds in Portugal next month. "We want to get a better idea of what is going forward in this Olympic effort," she said.