KARATE: Peter Harth is tipping a podium finish at the 12th World Karate Championships from an Australian team jam-packed with Rockhampton talent.

Harth, who also hails from Rockhampton, is in his seventh year as Australian coach and is understandably proud of the fact that the 56-member national team boasts 12 competitors from the Beef Capital, including captain Brandt Cogill.

The Aussies have been training in earnest for the week-long championships, which start on Monday in Jakarta, Indonesia. More than 2000 competitors from 100-plus countries will take part.

Harth said he relished coaching, a role he moved into after enjoying a successful competitive career of his own.

He was part of the Australian open men's team which competed in Japan in 1988 but a serious knee injury robbed him of the chance to compete again in Mexico three years later.

He did return to the sport after having a knee reconstruction but soon found that coaching was calling.

"After coaching at state and national level, I got the opportunity to be national head coach,” Harth said.

"I just really enjoy seeing the athletes get the results. It's so fulfilling to see the hard work pay off.”

Harth said the depth of talent in the Rockhampton region was "up there with the best in Australia”, making the local athletes highly competitive at national and international level.

And he is expecting that to be the case again in Jakarta.

"At the last World Championships, held in Sydney in 2012, Australia finished second behind Japan. That was the best result we've ever achieved,” he said. "That will be hard to match that but we'll give it a good shot.

"I think we've got some athletes there that have a really good chance and quite a few that have experienced that level before and I'm sure will fare very well.

"I'm pretty certain we will have the opportunity to medal.”