Thousands of participants are expected to attend five international judo events at the city of Győr. The first event took place a few weekends ago with the IJF Coaching and Refereeing Seminar whilst this weekend, for the first time, Győr will host an Olympic qualifying event in judo. Győr has always played a major role in Hungarian judo sport, especially in the last two and a half decades. Former competitor of Győr Dózsa SE, Dr. TÓTH László has been the president of the Hungarian Judo Association since 1998, who has also been the president of the European Judo Union since 2021.
The city regularly hosts national championships, ranking competitions, and the national finals of the pre-cadet age groups. In addition to the seminar and the Olympic qualifying tournament, Győr will host a veteran European Cup, the 25th Hungarian Masters Open and the annual cadet European Cup. According to plans, a junior European Cup is also scheduled to take place in Győr. The President of EJU, Dr. TÓTH László further explains;
There will not be another city in the world that will host so many international events in 2024, therefore, according to the decision of the management of the European Judo Union, Győr will receive the recognition of the European Judo City. Three cities can win this every year. The award will be given at the Olympic qualification event.
The Mayor of Győr, Dr. Dézsi Csaba András expressed his gratitude;
We are extremely honoured to receive such a prestigious award, we will do everything we can to make Győr a good partner in organising high-quality event. All of this is a great opportunity for us, but also a great responsibility. Of course, it is not without precedent that we get such opportunities, since Győr has already hosted several serious and high-quality international sports events.
Shifting the focus solely for the weekend, the Audi Arena will be filled with judo fans as well as over 400 competitors from 33 countries. Whilst there will be plenty home favourite, the ultimate focus would have been on local judo hero, Sipőcz Richárd, however, he will be supporting from the stands;
As a Hungarian athlete, it’s always a great experience to step on the tatami in Hungary, it’s especially unforgettable when you can do it in your hometown. It was very memorable for me when I was able to carry the Hungarian flag at the EYOF in Győr, there was a fantastic audience. Győr has sports-loving residents which will certainly show throughout the weekend and competitors will have a taste of this wonderful city and its audience.
Author: Szandra Szogedi