In a press release issued on July 29th, the organizing body of the tournament, JLB Productions, announced the official cancellation of the 43rd Annual Diamond National Karate Championships. The world-renowned event was originally scheduled for October 29-31, 2020. With this year's installment of the event cancelled, the next Diamond Nationals will take place from October 7-9, 2021. In the press release, JLB Productions explained that "normal operational activities are no longer possible at this time" due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Competitors and spectators who had already reserved rooms at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Minneapolis in preparation for the event can contact the hotel directly for a no-penalty cancellation of their reservations. The press release did not indicate that JLB productions would be organizing any kind of virtual event in place of the Diamond Nationals. Although the understandable cancellation of "The Diamonds" may be disheartening for sport karate fans, there is still hope that other world-rated NASKA tournaments will occur this season. The Battle of Atlanta, U.S. Capitol Classics, Toronto International Tournament of Champions, and the U.S. Open are all currently set to take place from September to December.

Stay tuned to BlackBeltMag.com for more news and updates about all NASKA events.