During the ceremonial speeches, Dr Laszlo Toth, Hungarian Judo Association President, EJU President and IJF Vice-President declared, "His Excellency, dear Mr President of the Republic of Hungary, Sulyok Tamas, dear Marius Vizer, IJF President, dear Hungarian representatives of the sport, ladies and gentlemen, dear Hungarian and international judo family, in the name of the Hungarian Judo Association, a very warm welcome to every participant of the 2025 World Championships, taking place in Hungary.
I would like to thank the Hungarian government, the International Judo Federation, every sponsor and also the audience and the judo family. Thank you very much; because of you, our big dream could come true and Hungary, for the third time, could organise the world judo championships. I wish you a very nice competition and a very nice stay. Thank you to the Hungarian public. Thank you very much for being here and thank you for this co-operation between Hungary and the IJF, one which allows Hungary to be known worldwide."
Then the President of Hungary took the floor, "Dear Mr President Vizer and President Toth, dear ladies and gentlemen, a warm welcome to all of you in Hungary. This wonderful day has come where the best judoka in the world have arrived in Hungary, in Budapest, many Olympic and world champions, talented athletes. The whole world is looking at what is happening on the tatami in Budapest.
I would like to thank you, the IJF, for very professional work and I would like to congratulate its President, Mr Vizer, for his re-election.
The sport is in the hearts of the people. We are friends, enthusiastic supporters and also doers of sport. In recent years we could organiser world championships in several sports, such as athletics, canoeing, fencing, water sports and also wrestling. Hungary is a reliable partner. We have showcased our ability to organise several international sporting events. The respect of sport and the full service that is given to our guests are core principles.
Judo is particularly close to our heart. We are proud that our capital city hosts the headquarters of the IJF. It is an honour and it is fantastic to see that for the third time our country hosts the judo world championships.
What makes this sport so special? I would like to quote Antal Kovács, an Olympic and world championship gold medal winning judoka, who said, ‘This sport goes beyond strength, there is also playfulness. Judo is all about fitness and skills but also discipline, concentration and the respect of the other. So it's not a surprise that this combat sport, coming from Japan, has conquered the whole world.’
Thanks to this sport, we can respect Japanese culture and thanks to judo we can also see how valuable mental discipline is. A warm welcome to the big judo family here in our country and welcome to every person who likes sport, welcome to the Budapest World Championships. I wish you success, I wish you to win and I wish you to have a nice time in Hungary."
Mr Marius Vizer, concluded the speeches, "Your excellency, Dr Sulyok Tamas, President of Hungary, your Excellency Mr Duma Gideon Boko, President of the Republic of Botswana, your Imperial Highness Princess Tomohito of Mikasa from Japan, Ambassador of the International Judo Federation, your Excellency Prince Fahad Bin Jalawi Al Saud, President of the Asian Triathlon Federation and Vice-President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, dear Mr Otabek Umarov, Vice-President of the Olympic Council of Asia, Dr Laszlo Toth, IJF Vice-President, President of the Hungarian Judo Association and my friend.
Dear Spectators, partners, judo family members, welcome to the World Championships Hungary 2025. Welcome to a country of culture, history, tradition and freedom. In the current international environment, the world is confronted with a lot of controversy, a lot of conflict. This world championship is dedicated to unity, friendship and peace. These are the values also supported by the Hungarian people. We are very thankful to the Hungarian government for supporting our judo headquarters in Budapest, Hungary, supporting three world championships and supporting the judo family.
Thank you very much to the spectators, a great, full arena today. We wish you a successful championship during these days. We wish you to enjoy Hungary, the hospitality of Hungary and the best culture of unity, friendship and peace. That is our message to the world from Budapest today. Thank you very much to all of you. I declare the World Championships 2025 in Hungary open.”
Before the official opening declaration, the famous Nox Band performed in front of a packed arena. Then the national anthem of Hungary was played, followed by the IJF anthem. It was then time for the final block.