UAE is ready to host the new version of Abu Dhabi Grand Slam 2023: IJF General Treasurer

The UAE is ready to host the new version of Abu Dhabi Grand Slam 2023, from 24th to 26th October Abu Dhabi, after the COVID-19 is over, announced a senior UAE sports official.

‘’I think it’s a good sign for the future and I am looking forward to having more global events in the region. I am convinced this will be the case. It’s a good promotion for our new and future generations. They can follow their heroes,” Naser Al Tamimi, Secretary-General of UAE Judo Federation, and General Treasurer of the International Judo Federation (IJF),told the IFJ website and TV channel. He took stock on the current championships and on the development of judo in the Gulf region.

Al Tamimi said:”In Abu Dhabi we have been organising first a grand prix, then a grand slam, for many years. We also hosted the junior worlds and the veterans and Kata World Championships. These big events give visibility to the sport, which becomes more and more popular. In my country, judo is the top Olympic sport. Thanks to this we get more support from our government.”

Al Tamimi has been the IJF General Treasurer since 2007 and he has just been re-elected, at the Congress which preceded the World Judo Championships – Doha 2023.

‘’Year after year I can feel that the interest for judo is growing. So here in Qatar, where I feel like I do at home, I am pleased to see the level of organisation. I think that what we have been doing in Abu Dhabi contributed greatly to the success of this edition of the world championships. What we see here in terms of organisation is one of the top competitions. The judo level is also incredibly high.”

On his impression abut the game, he said: ‘’When I got involved with judo, I started to practise because I wanted to know and to understand the rules, the principles and the values. I quickly undertsood that judo teaches discipline, respect, that it helped our young people to be more focused and have better behaviour. That is the reason why in 2005 we already started to implement judo in schools and we keep developing the educational dimension of the sport.”

Really, he added, it’s easy to fall in love with judo. You just have to watch and enjoy the beauty of it. It’s pure. Having two athletes, one in white, one in blue, producing nice techniques and competing fairly and respectfully, is what our world needs. It is attractive.