Perhaps the most important pre-competition moment is the occasion of the draw, offering all coaches and athletes the possibility to picture the day ahead and fine-tune their final preparation. At 2pm local time, on Thursday 8th May, the draw took place. For the IJF, Head Referee Directors Mr Florin Daniel Lascau and Mr Armen Bagdasarov were present with Education and Coaching Director Mr Mohamed Meridja.
Kazakhstan was represented by KJF President Mr Kuanyshbek Yessekeyev and KJF Vice Presidents Mr Serikbol Urazalin and Mr Ali Khamkhoyev.
Mr Bagdasarov gave the first welcome address, “Dear Mr President, KJF friends and all of our judo family, on behalf of the IJF and Mr Marius Vizer, I would like to welcome all of you to the Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam 2025. At the last Olympic Games in Paris, Kazakhstan won a gold and a bronze medal, demonstrating their current power in the world of judo and their potential for the future in the sport.
I would like to thank the government and Olympic Committee as well as all sponsors for making this grand slam such a high level event. I wish all athletes the best of luck and an enjoyable weekend of great judo in Astana.”
Kazakhstan Judo Federation President Mr Kuanyshbek Yessekeyev then said, “Dear judo family, it’s nice to meet you again at the draw ceremony for the Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam. It’s an honour for us to have Kazakhstan placed on the world judo map. It is with prestige that judo is promoted on the world stage here and in the spirit of friendship and respect.”
On behalf of the IJF Referee Commission, Florin Daniel Lascau stated, “Dear judo world, for the 2025 Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam, the Referee Commission has made a selection of some of best referees worldwide, to ensure fair and consistent refereeing according to the new rules.”
Mr Lascau then also led the mechanics of the draw itself, ensuring that the 358 athletes from their 45 delegations were drawn, informed and prepared for the days ahead.
The competition start times will be as follows:
Day 1: 10:00
Day 2: 10:30
Day 3: 11:00
The final block will be at 17:00 each day. The opening ceremony will be at 16:15 on day two.
With the first official weigh-in and judogi checks also to be made before the first contests can take place, the energy will stay high in Astana. As the curtain opens tomorrow morning, tune in to JudoTV to catch every contest, every replay and all statistics. There is much to look forward to!