[1] [2] In 1972, Soke Farhad Varasteh, an Iranian karate teacher, received a letter from the World Karate Federation (then known as the World Union of Karate-do Organizations, or WUKO) asking him to enter a team in that year's world championships, which would require obtaining a letter from the Iranian Olympic Committee stating that the team officially represented Iran.

While in Paris he participated in technical discussions on karate and the future of WUKO, which had been created two years earlier.

Eventually, the 1976 European Karate championships were held in Tehran, the capital of Iran.

Jacques Delcourt, president of the European and international karate federations, was also present.

Britain's Billy Higgins won the final of the men's individual kumite -70 kg.