The last week and a half has been a whirlwind of entertainment for judo fans around the world, and a jam-packed program for athletes, coaches, delegations and everyone involved in the IJF Tour.
We started in Budapest for the Hungarian Grand Slam and were able to communicate with the newly elected President of the European Judo Union, Dr. László TÓTH, who also holds the title of President of the Hungarian Judo Federation and Vice President of the IJF.
It is a great honor and a great pleasure that we can start with the first Olympic qualifier in Europe. This was a special decision as we have an agreement with the IJF and the Croatian Judo Federation to support our national federations and other continents. The distance between the two competitions. [Zagreb Grand Prix] it will only be one week, and we have a new system that we would like to test so that other continental or European delegations can come to Budapest, compete and have the opportunity to use a training facility to prepare for the next competition and then they will be bused to Zagreb.
The idea is to save extra flights for the federations. It is really a great honor that in Europe we are the first and I think the conditions in Europe are just fantastic. I attended in Mongolia and it is difficult for many to access, but despite this, the results showed that Europe was successful there.
So why is the Hungarian Grand Slam such a huge success, attracting the big names?
I have two ideas why it is so successful. For the great champions, they don’t want weak competition and they want the show. For them, they need the big players to be there. We had over 400 players here which makes it very strong, now we are seeing strong judoka who could become the future Olympic champions in 2024.
Secondly, I was talking to the coaches and the competitors and one of the most critical coaches met me and told me how happy they were for this event and expressed how good the conditions are in Hungary. There is a great service for competitors and coaches, as well as facilities for preparation and competition. I am very grateful for these nice words, but as the organizer and the host country, for me the most important thing is that the coaches and competitors feel good, they are the VIPs here, our gladiators. At the very least they should feel good.
Budapest not only provided an excellent setting for the competitive event, but also for the EJU Executive Committee to get to work.
With me here in Budapest are Kristiina Pekkola, Envic Galea, Martin Poiger, Hrvoje Lindin, Sezar Huysuz and Moshe Ponte. It was a great meeting and a full program to work with our continents and the Japanese team to start a new Kodokan development project. It is a difficult job but an honor to be in this position. All the continental presidents were in Budapest and this was a special occasion. It is important for our friendship in Europe but also with the other continents.
All the continental presidents are happy and happy that I am in this position. We are looking forward to creating a more friendly relationship.
What about the immediate future plans for the EJU as the newly elected president?
In Austria we held a meeting of the Executive Committee, for a long time it has not been so friendly, so this time it was important to start again. The selections made were important in creating this trailer.
I can say something, and it’s no secret. I have many friends in important positions, within the IJF for example, and when I greet them in Hungary they ask me, why did you wait so long for this? I was expected to take on this role and I believe that the relationships I have built and the cooperation I am able to help with will make a difference. Not only EJU but all continents.
Something we can look forward to in the immediate future is the start of a new program with Pan America and Africa. The aim is to help approximately 50 of the best competitors with the preparation in Hungary for the Olympic Games. This will now start following Zagreb. I feel that with this position I can create new ideas and new opportunities for everyone, not just for Europe. With the Kodokan, for example, we seek education for children between the ages of six and ten with an online contest. We have been testing this in Hungary for the last six months and so far we have participated in 186, we think it is really very progressive for children.
Dr. Tóth has a great vision for the European Judo Union and beyond. We can look forward to future collaboration with our international partners.
Autor: Thea Cowen
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