Not every sport garners the attention of political leaders but this is something judo does frequently and well. Presidents and royalty attended the judo event at the London Olympics; in Paris last summer, French President Emmanuel Macron spent a lot of time at the Champs de Mars enjoying judo, speaking with champions and congratulating the French team; in many countries around the world, ministers, presidents and ambassadors choose to visit judo venues, such is the draw of our sport.
In Astana, the Kazakhstan Judo Federation was extremely proud to welcome the president of the Republic of Kazakhstan His Excellency Mr Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to the Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov Martial Arts Palace. With the highest level of sport organisation and event management, judo has always pushed limits in the search for excellence. From hospitality to media, from broadcasting to athlete services, every aspect of international judo is underpinned by the core values of the sport, those first promoted by Jigoro Kano Shihan in the 19th century. This, alongside our drive for equality and inclusion, makes judo the perfect sport for world leaders to enjoy.
At the beginning of day 2, the medal table painted a picture of universality, while also illustrating the determination of the host nation to do well in front of their public. This is another aspect enjoyed by sport leaders and political leaders alike: diversity, equality and fair play. Four countries shared the gold medals on day one while 11, from 3 continents, won medals of any colour. Kazakhstan won 4 medals, more than any other nation but the gold remained elusive, the winning of just one would change everything in the standings.
Abylaikhan Zhubanazar had to carry the pressure of that into the final block as the only host nation representative to reach a semi-final on this second day. Knowing his president would be in attendance to watch him compete for a medal created a great deal of pressure but it was also an immense honour.
Regardless of the final standings, Kazakhstan is pulling out all the stops at the Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam, showing how integrated judo is with daily life in the country. It is impressive and the judo world is enjoying every minute of it.