Sensei Zvonko Celebija is world’s highest ranking referee in Ontario in the last 25 years and Chief referee in Ontario for 20 years, recipient of Ontario Sport Award, recognized to the Masters Hall of Fame in Los Angeles.

• 2000 – NKA Official of The Year Award (National Karate Association of Canada)
• 2001 – Karate Ontario Official of the Year Award
• 2002 – Honduras Karate Federation recognition for bringing Shotokan style to Honduras
• 2003 – Karate Ontario Hall of fame
• 2004 – PKF Recognition to Elevate Karate in Pan-American Karate Federation
• 2004 – Uchiage-kai Award for Contribution of Karate Do
• 2007 – Ontario Sport Award
• 2008 – Syl Apps Achievement Award
• 2010 – Masters Hall of Fame, Los Angeles

• 1973-1978 – Competed at Provincial & International Tournaments
• 1985 – Won Team Kumite gold medal at the IKA World Championship (Captain of the International Karate Team Canada)
• 1986 – Started Officiating
• 1989 – Pan-American Karate Federation (PKF) Official
• 1994 – World Karate Federation (WKF) Official
• 1996-2016 – Chief Referee in Karate Ontario
• 1998 – WKF Referee B
• 2012 – World Karate Federation full kata and kumite license
• 2013 – Pan-American Karate Federation Referee Committee member (5 members only)
• 2015 – Technical Director for Pan-Am Games in Toronto

Sensei Zvonko is one of a few people who can pride himself for receiving all his belt ranks from the same Master, Master Takemasa Okuyama (10th Dan Shotokan)

• 1972 – Started Karate with Master Okuyama
• 1974 – Received 1st Dan (Shodan)
• 1977 – Received 2nd Dan (Nidan)
• 1981 – Received 3rd Dan (Sandan)
• 1985 – Received 4th Dan (Yondan)
• 1988 – Received 5th Dan (Godan)
• 1995 – Received 6th Dan (Rokudan)
• 2006 – Received 7th Dan (Shichidan)
• 2017 – Received 8th Dan (Hachidan)

Sensei Zvonko Celebija was referee at over 300 tournaments all around the world, some of which are:

• 23 WKF (World Karate Federation) tournaments
• 28 PKF (Pan-American Karate Federation) tournaments
• 8 North-American cups
• 3 Pan-Am Games
• 36 National Championships
• 12 Kubota Cups, Toronto
• 6 Kubota Cups, International (Italy, USA, Australia, Croatia, Japan)
• 8 US Open
• 2 Paris Open
• 1 Dubai Open
• 6 Big Apple, USA
• 5 Croatia Championships
• 12 Gojo-Kai, Uchiage tournaments, Vancouver
• 2 Honduras Championships
• 3 Open Championships, Toronto
• 10 CNE Canadian Championships
• 1 Bahamas International
• 110 provincial championships in Ontario

Sensei Zvonko with two Kata World champions Luca Valdesi and Antonio Diaz

Sensei Zvonko Celebija awarded Syl Apps
Achievement Award

THE SYL APPS SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD is presented annually by the Province of Ontario to Ontario volunteers who have contributed to the development of sport in the province. Sensei Zvonko Celebija received this prestigious award at the ceremony on April 24, 2008. The only other person from karate sport that received this award was Sensei Masami Tsuruoka in 1980.