The World Judo Tour already has another baby, the Dushanbe Grand Prix. In Abu Dhabi, the President of the International Judo Federation, Marius Vizer, signed the agreement with the President of the Tajikistan Judo Federation, Nurullo Loiqov.
President of the International Judo Federation, Marius Vizer, signing the agreement with the President of the Tajikistan Judo Federation, Nurullo Loiqov.

It will be four years, at least for now, and four years means a total commitment. Organising such an international tournament requires commitment and seriousness and this is what Tajikistan wishes to demonstrate.

For Marius Vizer, “The event will be an unbeatable opportunity to promote a country and a region that love judo and that treasure top-level athletes. In this sense, the grand prix is an essential safe conduct to make themselves known."

For Mr Loiqov, it is a special occasion because, “We have been waiting for this moment for many years. Judo is the number one sport in my country and we want to bring the best stars there. We have an ancestral sport called gustingiri which has many similarities to judo. We are a people of warriors and judo is our passion.”

President Loiqov took the opportunity to give thanks for the immense support of the Mayor of Dushanbe, Rustami Emomali, “Without whose support we would not be here today. The investment is important and the Dushanbe City Council will bear most of the cost, so it is only fair to pay tribute to our greatest supporters.

Speaking of support, the time has come to mention Ismoili Mahmadzoir, the one who loves his country and contributes for the development of sport. Put like that, it sounds like a calling card, but the reality is the true measure of things. Let's talk about Mr Mahmadzoir.

President of the Tajikistan Judo Federation, Nurullo Loiqov with Ismoili Mahmadzoir

Over a period of several years Ismoili Mahmadzoir showed himself the best way, providing support and sponsorship for Tajik athletes and developing sports infrastructures, thereby becoming one of the popular most faces of this sphere in Tajikistan. He contributes consistently and invests in the development of sport, not only sponsoring the events but also assisting with the construction of sports facilities in the country. The modern judo club of Hoji Sharif is a great example of this. Judoka from all over Tajikistan are coming to this club for training and parents are happy to bring their children as it is a high quality, well equipped facility in Dushanbe. The athletes of the club already have good results and are bringing medals from each competition they have participated in.

The place in the World Judo Tour calendar that the Dushanbe Grand Prix will occupy remains to be seen. Tajikistan proposes October but at the moment we cannot confirm it. What we do know is that the first edition will take place in 2023 and so on until 2026. Right now we have the most important things: the country, the city, the budget, the ambition to do things well and the unconditional support of authorities and private sponsors. There are different ways to do things, but in this case, there is no better way to start.

Welcome to the circuit.

See also
Antalya GS 2024
Are Abe and Abe Able to Ascend in Antalya ?

28. Mar. 2024 / Among the 628 athletes accredited for the Antalya Grand ...

Antalya GS 2024
It’s Happening in Antalya!

28. Mar. 2024 / A week ago the World Judo Tour stopped in Tbilisi, ...

News
Rwanda's Judo Development Continues

27. Mar. 2024 / On Saturday 16th March the Rwanda Judo Federation orchestrated ...

News
MET Group, IJF Global Partner, Becomes Main Partner of Nils Stump

26. Mar. 2024 / Energy company MET Group has been promoting and supporting ...

Tbilisi GS 2024
Lipo Says Goodbye and Georgia Celebrates its Champions

24. Mar. 2024 / During the second day of competition of the Tbilisi ...

Tbilisi GS 2024
+100kg: Tushishvili Signs for a Fifth Gold Medal in a Grand Slam

24. Mar. 2024 / The first known final of the day was that of the men's ...

Tbilisi GS 2024
+78kg: Lucht Surprises Everyone

24. Mar. 2024 / Two Olympic champions were in play in Tbilisi in the ...

Tbilisi GS 2024
-100kg: Sherazadishvili Find his Marks

24. Mar. 2024 / Things were difficult for the double world champion ...

Tbilisi GS 2024
-78kg: Kurchenko Closes the Gap

24. Mar. 2024 / This group is truly elite.

Tbilisi GS 2024
-90kg: Bekauri is Back!

24. Mar. 2024 / They came among other things for him and they were ...

Tbilisi GS 2024
Fair-Play and Spectacular Judo, This Is What You Find in Georgia

24. Mar. 2024 / Georgian Judo and its many achievements and successes ...

Judo TV
Why Should You Watch JudoTV?

24. Mar. 2024 / If the dream of every judoka is to be physically present ...

Tbilisi GS 2024
Georgia Celebrates its Hero

23. Mar. 2024 / The World Judo Tour competitions are celebrations of ...

INTERVIEW EXPRESS
Shishime Ai (JPN)

08. Jun. 2018 / The next reigning world champion to be invited to answer ...

News
5 Key Takeaways from judo’s first Tokyo 2020 qualifier

06. Jun. 2018 / Highlights from Hohhot Grand Prix 2018

VIDEO
Judo for the World in Iran

07. Jun. 2018 / In April 2018, the International Judo Federation and ...

Meeting
JUDO: A Beneficial Cause

07. Jun. 2018 / 'Society should believe in sport as a beneficial cause ...