On Thursday 24th July, the official draw took place, giving coaches and athletes the last information needed to strategise ahead of their contests.
At the draw, many officials of the IJF and the Mongolian Judo Association (MJA) were present, including IJF General Treasurer Mr Naser Al Tamimi, IJF Head Referee Director Mr Armen Bagdasarov and IJF Sport Director Mr Kosei Inoue. Mr Nasantogtokh Chimedbazar, Honorary Advisor Coach, Mr Bilegt Erdenesaikhan, Chair of the Mongolian State Committee of Physical Culture and Sports, and MJA General Secretary Mr Battsetseg Batgerel were present for the MJA.
To open the draw ceremony, Mr Naser Al Tamimi spoke to those gathered and to the judoka community watching online via JudoTV, “Dear Mr Erdenesaikhan, dear general secretary and EC members, friends and colleagues, on behalf of IJF President Mr Vizer I would like to thank the Mongolian Judo Association for offering to organise this grand slam. I would also like to thank all media personnel, sponsors and staff for their hard work in bringing this great event to the beautiful city of Ulaanbaatar.”
Mr Erdenesaikhan then offered his welcome on behalf of the local organisers, “Dear honourable athletes, coaches and distinguished guests, I extend my warmest greetings and heartfelt welcome to all. It is a great honour to host this prestigious tournament in our capital city of Ulaanbaatar. I extend sincere thanks to IJF President Mr Marius Vizer for the trust placed in us to organise this important event. This is more than a sporting occasion; it is a celebration of values including respect and fair play. I wish all athletes success and to compete with honour, courage and dignity. Welcome to Mongolia.”
Mr Armen Bagdasarov then noted the strategy for referee selection, “After the 2025 World Championships, we continue to work with referees at the same high standard for all World Judo Tour events. The commission will review and double check all decisions to ensure fair play and transparency.”
Mr Kosei Inoue then conducted the mechanics of the draw, “It is great to be back on the World Judo Tour here in Ulaanbaatar. Let’s move forward with the draw. I would like to thank the IT and media teams for their work in ensuring this draw runs smoothly.” The fourteen categories were then drawn, with the seeded athletes in each category highlighted and placed accordingly.
The competition start times are as follows:
Day 1: 12:00
Day 2: 12:30
Day 3: 12:30
The final block will begin at 17:00 on each day. Tune in to JudoTV