The Government of Kosovo has given the green light to the 'Super Athletes Programme', which aims to increase the number of Olympic qualifiers and medals for Kosovo at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Judo Tashkent Grand has become a must on the international calendar and this year more than ever with two major events on the horizon, the World Championships and the Olympic Games. It is time for athletes from all over the world to fine-tune their preparations.

The prestigious IJF Academy Judo Coaching Certification Programme concluded today with a remarkable awards ceremony, recognising the dedication and achievements of the participants of the the Level 1 Judo Coaches Technical Courses.

The Veterans and Kata World Championships will be held in Las Vegas in 2024. The announcement was made by Denis Weisser, Chairman of the IJF Veterans Commission.

The world's judo elite met for the 30th time in Mittersill (Austria) from 8 to 16 January. Judokas from 58 nations, including the entire Austrian Olympic Team of 90 athletes - including Tokyo medallists Michaela Polleres and Shamil Borchashvili - came to the small town.

Two time Olympic champion Lukas Krpalek started the preparation for the Olympic year in Mittersill at the huge training camp that is held every year.

The President of the International Judo Federation, Marius Vizer, was in Mittersill (Austria) for the big training camp, where he also spoke about the Olympic year. He hopes that Paris 2024 will take place in a peaceful atmosphere and wishes the European athletes the best of luck.

The International Judo Federation president Marius Vizer summarised the achievements of IJF in 2023.

The Tunisian Judo Federation, led by Skander Hachicha, has been recognised for its promotion of international relations. The prize awarded by the Japanese Foreign Minister, was presented to the Tunisian Judo Federation on Tuesday 12 December at the Japanese Embassy in Tunisia.

Pristina became the centre of European Judo at the weekend. The inaugural edition of the European Judo Championships Open was held in Kosovo’s capital. The tournament consisted of two events: the 57 kg weight category in women’s judo and the 73 kg weight category in men’s judo. 

International Judo Federation (IJF) announced on December 15 that the 2024 Judo World Championships will take place in Abu Dhabi in May 2024.

2022 European Champion, Gemma Howell yesterday, December 11, announced her retirement from judo. During a highly successful judo career, Gemma reached the podium for Great Britain Judo at the European Championships in Sofia and Tel Aviv, represented Team GB at two Olympic Games (London and Tokyo) and picked up multiple medals on the IJF World Tour.

Serbian OJK Belgrade win the European Club Championships in Belgrade held on December 9. In the men's Champions League final they beat Greece’s Aris 3:0. Filip Djinovic (+90) and Spanish legionnaires Alberto Gaitero Martin (-66) and Jorge Cano Garcia (-73) scored the points for the underdogs. Aleksandar Nerandzic(-81) and Darko Brasnjovic (-90) did not play in the final.

One of the main questions of day two of Tokyo Grand Slam 2023 was if Hifumi and Uta Abes could win their next tournament. Since 2018 they have won together the 2020 Olympic Games, 2018, 2022 and 2023 World Championships, various Grand Slam titles. And the answer to the question was quite predictable - yes.

The Austrian Bundesliga’ Final Four tournament took place on November 25. Several judo stars were among the participants, as M&R Galaxy Judo Tigers from Vienna won their 10th anniversary title.