Host nation Cyprus is one of five European Union nations which does not recognise Kosovo and has supported Serbia in its claims to the region.

The KOC has blamed the Cypriot Government for the requirement for Kosovar athletes to compete under a Kosovo Karate Federation (KKF) flag at the Championships.

This order was rejected by Kosovo's team, who refused to compete after arriving at the Kition Athletic Centre.

However, the EKF has insisted that the KKF was aware of the situation prior to its departure.

Images show a makeshift KKF flag in between Italy and Latvia at the venue, and the Kosovar team which opted to watch the competition instead of participating.

"The Kosovo karate team was not allowed to compete with the national symbols of Kosovo," the KOC told insidethegames.

"The organisers asked the Kosovo team to compete with a makeshift flag writing Kosovo Karate Federation.

"They have explained to our delegation that this is a decision of the Cyprus Government.

"Our delegation with 45 members (karate athletes, referees, coaches) refused to compete without national symbols (flag and anthem), and decided to stay in the stand for two days of competitions."

The KOC slammed organisers for the situation, and vowed to fight the decision.

"As Kosovo Olympic Committee, this is a shameful act what happened last week in Larnaca, Cyprus," it added.

"We are surprised by EKF and organisers, which allowed our athletes to be discriminated, and sport to be mixed with politics.

"Kosovo NOC in collaboration with Kosovo Karate Federation will take the necessary measures, against this decision, because this is not the first time that Kosovo's athletes being discrimination (sic) due to politics."

The KOC was recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2014 after Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia in 2008.

It has competed at both Summer and Winter Olympics since Rio 2016, but its disputed status has led to issues at major events including the World Athletics Indoor Championships and Men's World Boxing Championships in Belgrade.

EKF President Antonio Espinós, who has also headed up the World Karate Federation (WKF) since 1998, insisted that the continental body worked to ensure Kosovar athletes were able to enter Cyprus, and that the KKF was aware of the issue with the flag before it arrived.

"The EKF worked intensively, as usual, with the Local Organising Committee to ensure that all the National Federation members found the right conditions to participate in the event," the Spanish official told insidethegames.

"In the case of Kosovo, the EKF made the arrangements to make sure that they received the visas to travel to Cyprus.

"Following the instructions of the Government of Cyprus which do not recognise Kosovo as a country, the delegation of Kosovo was allowed to compete under the flag of the Kosovo Karate Federation.

"The KKF was informed of this matter accordingly prior to their travel to Cyprus.

"It was the KKF's representatives, upon their arrival to Cyprus, who decided unilaterally not to participate in the event despite the efforts and mediation of the EKF."

The KKF has held WKF membership since 2014.

The Cyprus Karate Federation said it had notified the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo's participation and "clarified our respect for the Kosovo Karate Federation and their legitimacy as independent competitors", but insisted that the decision was taken out of its hands.

"We do not hold any political stance in the unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo, and our interest lies clearly to the full satisfaction of the participants of the event," the Cyprus Karate Federation told insidethegames.

"However, the position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is that the flag of the authorities in Pristina cannot fly in any official ceremony in the Republic of Cyprus.

"As such, we were explicitly not allowed by the local authorities to fly the flag of the Republic of Kosovo.

"Instead, the flag of the local karate federation was suggested and was used in the event."

Kosovo athletes were initially unable to compete under their own flag at the 2018 Karate World Championships in Madrid, but the Spanish Government backed down following pressure from the international sporting community.

Many countries with their separatist movements in their own nations including Spain do not support Kosovo's independence.

The Kosovo Boxing Federation was refused entry to Serbia on at least three occasions at the Men's World Boxing Championships in October 2021, prompting criticism from the IOC and International Boxing Association (IBA).

The IOC threatened Serbia with a ban on hosting major events if they refused to allow athletes from certain nations to compete, and criticised the IBA - then AIBA - for failing to conduct due diligence in selecting Belgrade as a host.

Kosovo's flag was not displayed at last year's World Athletics Indoor Championships in the Serbian capital.

There was controversy at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar last year too.

The Football Association of Serbia was fined CHF20,000 (£18,000/$21,600/€20,200) because its players took a flag depicting Kosovo as Serbian territory into their dressing room, and Serbia's game against a Swiss team containing numerous players of ethnic Albanian heritage who are refugees from Kosovo proved bad-tempered.

Spain topped the medals table at the EKF Junior, Cadet and Under-21 Championships with six golds, while Serbia won a gold and a silver.