IJF Academy to open in Astana

IJF Academy to open in Astana
Photo credit: Akorda

Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has met today President of the International Judo Federation Marius Vizer, Kazinform News Agency learned from the Akorda press service.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev thanked Marius Vizer for his contribution to the development and popularization of judo, adding that  this sport  is popular in Kazakhstan, in particular, among children and youth.

The Kazakh President spoke on the importance of Marius Vizer’s visit from the viewpoint of giving additional impulse to the mutually beneficial cooperation between Kazakhstan and the IJF.

“Judo holds a special place in the global sports community. Judo is popular in our country too. More than 160,000 adults and children practice judo in numerous sports clubs and training centers. We are proud that our athlete Yeldos Smetov won a gold medal at the recent Olympic Games in Paris. Therefore, we are interested in the development of contacts and more active collaboration with the International Judo Federation,” the Head of State said.

Marius Vizer thanked Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for his personal support of judo development in Kazakhstan.

He said he was honored to be in Kazakhstan and expressed his gratitude to the President and Kazakhstan for the support of judo and entire sports movement, which had been one of the tools of education, social integration, and peace factor. In his words, all the members of judo family strive to achieve one goal – upbringing and better integration of a decent person into the society.

Marius Vizer also said that IJF Academy will be opened in Astana, which will become one of the top-level centers for training judo coaches and referees in the region.

The sides also exchanged views on the prospects of the Kazakhstan-IJF long-term cooperation and discussed the preparation for the World Judo Championships slated for 2027 in Kazakhstan.

Upon completion of the meeting, the Head of State handed over 2nd Degree Dostyk Order to Marius Vizer for his contribution to the promotion of judo in Kazakhstan.

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