Three Judoka Refugees Will Attend Paris 2024 on IOC Scholarships

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) just revealed the most recent batch of refugee athletes who would receive scholarships to give them opportunity to train for the Olympic Games in Paris 2024. Three of them are judokas who are already a part of the IJF Refugee Team and are well known to our judo family. Olympic fans can buy Olympic Judo Tickets from our website.

Mohamad Akkash was an extremely agitated little child who was constantly on the go. He went to judo with his cousin, who is also a judoka. At first sight, Mohamad fell in love with the activity. He learned its strategies, techniques, and principles, and that was it—he was now a judoka. Judo had clearly changed and even saved his life, according to him.

He had just received his high school diploma and was living in Damascus when the Syrian civil war began. The only option was to go outside. Mohamad continued to train in judo during his difficult voyage to Europe. He forced through the doors of a judo club in Germany, where he submitted an asylum application, and was welcomed there like family.

 His new coach granted him access to the performance training facility and assisted him in finding housing. Mohamad trained the children in return. He now splits his time between judo and his profession as a translator and supporter of immigrants who have recently arrived in Germany, like he did a few years ago, in a refugee centre.

Damascus is also where Adnan Khankan is from. When he was 10 years old, he first learned about judo and fell in love with it. He won his first neighborhood contest shortly after that. Prior to being forced to leave Syria because of the civil conflict, he competed in continental competitions and later joined the national junior squad.

 In Germany, Adnan found safety and the opportunity to continue his training. He witnessed the Olympic Refugee Team entering the stadium in 2016 while watching television. Hope existed! His current focus is Paris 2024.

Afghanistan is where Nigara Shaheen was born. She began practising judo at the age of 11 and now competes in the -70kg weight division. Judo and other martial arts were practiced in the family while they were refugees in Peshawar, Pakistan. She graduated with a master’s in international commerce from the Ural Federal University in Ekaterinburg and has been residing in Canada since September 2022, where she is continuing her education.

She participated in the Düsseldorf Grand Slam in 2020 and the Kazan Grand Slam in 2021 as a part of the IJF Refugee Team. She competed in both the individual and mixed team competitions for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team in Tokyo 2020.

Despite the hardships and tragedies that Mohamad, Adnan, and Nigara have experienced, they all share a love of judo. Their scholarship will help them realised their dream. We’ll keep an eye on them and send our best wishes their way in the coming years.

CROATIA – HOST OF THE 2024 EUROPEAN SENIOR JUDO CHAMPIONSHIPS

The European Judo Union is happy to announce that Zagreb will host the European Senior Judo Championship in 2024. (CRO). It is the most prestigious judo competition that Zagreb will host, and it will happen just before the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.

The successful organizing of the IJF Grand Prix competition in Zagreb in 2013 put the Croatian Judo Federation on the IJF World Judo Tour map. The World Junior (U21) Championship, the European Championship in the age divisions of U23, U21, and U18, the European Open, and multiple European Cups were successfully hosted by them starting in 2006.

Also extremely pleased was European Judo Union President Dr. Laszlo TTH, who stated: A few years ago, we began an amazing programmer between the European Judo Union and the Croatian Judo Federation (CJF) (EJU). CJF was not simply one of Europe’s most successful organizers; concurrently, they began to produce ever-increasing results. Olympic fans can buy Paris Olympic Tickets from our website.

Everyone in Europe is really grateful to CJF for starting to arrange judo events during the epidemic because Croatia was the second country, after Hungary, to do so. The International Judo Federation (IJF) President, Mr. Marius L. Vizer, nominated me this year to attend the IJF Grand Prix Zagreb in his place and to start the competition.

The Prime Minister of Croatia, H.E. Mr. sc. Andrej PLENKOVI, invited me to a meeting on the occasion of the IJF GP Zagreb. I discussed our strategy and dream during this discussion, which is to have Croatia host the only European Judo Union crown event that has yet to take place.

The Croatian government calculated the response and found it to be quite positive. It was difficult because multiple nations submitted applications to host the same event in 2024. Because it will take place before the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024, it is not only a historical event but also the most significant competition for all of Europe that year.

We waited patiently, and not long after Croatia’s historic final at the World Championships in Tashkent (U70 kg MATI vs CVJETKO), I received word that H.E. Mr.sc Andrej PLENKOVI would like to meet with me once more. I reasoned that perhaps this is our chance to host the European Championships in Croatia. At the Prime Minister’s and his staff’s reception last week in Croatia, everything went perfectly.

We got a yes when we asked to host an event in Croatia. The fact that the European Championships will be held in Montpellier, France, the following year and that Zagreb, Croatia, will host them again in 2024 makes me extremely delighted.

 We consider this to be of utmost importance because, first and foremost, we respect the Croatian Judo Federation, and second, it gives Croatian heroes an opportunity to celebrate their incredible victory in the World Championship final.

 This is a significant opportunity to alter Federation’s strategy. A major event like the European Championships has the potential to draw several major sponsors who ordinarily would not be interested in supporting an event of this magnitude. This will undoubtedly be a significant milestone for both the CJF and the EJU.

The European Senior Championship, one of the most significant events on the calendar of the European Judo Union, is a great honour for us to host. The President of the CJF, Dr. sc. Sanda ORAK, and honorary President Mr. Tomislav ULJAK declared, “We have a highly experienced staff that is ready for another in a succession of significant sports events that portray Croatia as a sports nation.”

We’ve been working on this project for a while, so it didn’t just happen overnight. Now, it will finally materialize. Just before the Olympic Games, the best judokas from the old continent will travel to Zagreb. In addition to those who will win in Paris, current Olympic and world winners are travelling to Croatia. We anticipate the show in Zagreb’s “Arena.”

Fighting in front of your own supporters is the best feeling in the world. The European Championship being held in Croatia just before Paris makes me incredibly thrilled. There will be no shortage of incentive since it would be fantastic to win the best medal in front of our supporters. I’m ecstatic and proud, and I know that our entire national squad is eager for the European Championships.

Barbara MATI, a two-time World Champion, was added at the end.

The European Senior Judo Championship – Zagreb 2024, which was supported by the Government of the Republic of Croatia, which also last week adopted the “Conclusion on providing support to the organization of the European Senior Judo Championship,” is the biggest event for Croatian judo to date in terms of the organization of major competitions.

We are extremely happy that the Government of the Republic of Croatia recognized this. Over 400 of the top judokas in Europe will compete over five days in April 2024 at Arena “Zagreb.”

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