ABU DHABI, 14th May, 2023 (WAM) — The United Arab Emirates is ready to host the new version of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam 2023, from October 24-26, after the end of COVID-19, a senior official has announced. Emirati sportsman.
I think this is a good sign for the future and I look forward to having more world events in the region. I am convinced that it will. It is a good promotion for our new and future generations. They can follow their heroes,” Nasser Al Tamimi, general secretary of the UAE Judo Federation and general treasurer of the International Judo Federation (IFJ), told the IJF website and TV channel. He gave an update on the current championships and on the development of judo in the Gulf region.
Al Tamimi said: “In Abu Dhabi, we have been hosting first a Grand Prix and then a Grand Slam for many years. We have also hosted the Junior World Championships and the Veteran and Kata World Championships. These major events give visibility to the sport, which is becoming increasingly popular. In my country, judo is the first Olympic sport. Thanks to this, we have more support from our government.
Al Tamimi has been General Treasurer of the IJF since 2007 and he was just re-elected, during the Congress which preceded the World Judo Championships – Doha 2023.
From year to year, I feel that the interest in judo increases. So here in Qatar, where I feel like home, I’m happy to see the level of organization. I think what we did in Abu Dhabi contributed greatly to the success of this edition of the world championships. What we see here in terms of organization is one of the best competitions. The level of judo is also incredibly high.”
Regarding his impression of the game, he said, “When I started practicing judo, I started doing it because I wanted to know and understand the rules, principles and values. I quickly understood that judo taught discipline, respect, that it helped our young people to be more concentrated and to behave better. This is the reason why, in 2005, we already started to introduce judo in schools and we continue to develop the educational dimension of this sport”.
“Really, he added, it’s easy to fall in love with judo. Just watch and appreciate the beauty of this sport. It’s a pure sport. Two athletes, one in white, the other in blue, producing great technique and competing fairly and respectfully, is what our world needs. It’s attractive”.
Translated by: Gihane Fawzi.
https://wam.ae/en/details/1395303157511
2023-05-15 07:01:56
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