Obviously the main subject throughout the weekend is the Grand Prix Portugal 2022, which takes place not far from Lisbon, at the Complexo Municipal dos Desportos da Cidade de Almada. For Jorge Fernandes, the success of the Grand Prix is based on a combination of factors and above all on all the efforts that have been made in recent years by the federal team, from the board members to the athletes, including all the members of the family of Portuguese judo, which continues to grow.
This development, which has become particularly visible in recent seasons, is in fact the result of years of work and structuring of which President Fernandes feels he is the heir. Judo indeed appeared in Portugal when a Japanese master, Kiyoshi Kobayashi, came to settle there and imported the sport and its values. Since then, judo has continued to progress to make Portugal a major player on the international scene.
In a first approach Jorge Fernandes likes to underline that Portuguese judo is strongly inspired by the teaching of Master Kobayashi and the Kodokan, before adding that he has also imbued their judo with the Portuguese spirit, made of originality and of a strong desire to discover the unknown.
Portugal being a welcoming country, while outward-looking, it is not surprising that judo has found fertile ground in the land of Vasco da Gama and Ferdinand Magellan and that it has now the desire to shine in the world. The Grand Prix and the results achieved by domestic athletes are the most emblematic examples of this.
However, it is not just a question of having the will, it also requires organisation and that is precisely what Jorge Fernandes has concentrated on during his first term as President and during the current second term. His objective is now clear: to confirm the good results and if possible surpass them. For this, new challenges will have to be met, but his team is ready.
What characterises the Portuguese Judo Federation is precisely the unity they show when times are difficult. The most recent that has affected the whole world is obviously the pandemic but paradoxically, Portugal tightened the lines and strengthened their ability to do great things.
In terms of results, we will obviously remember the world titles of Jorge Fonseca and the countless medals of Telma Monteiro. We can also note the very beautiful gold medal of Catarina Costa during the first day of the Grand Prix. On the organisational side, we will remember that Portugal successfully organised the World Veterans and Kata Championships at the end of 2021 and that at the beginning of the 2022 season, they are hosting the first grand prix in their history.
Jorge Fernandes already sees further, though, because in three or four years, he can see this tournament becoming a grand slam. Case to follow.
The three dimensions that characterise the national federation are unity, cooperation and mutual respect, notions that have been reinforced during the COVID era, quite simply because without this nothing was possible.
Judo in Portugal is now recognised for its seriousness and its ability to make the country shine on the national and international scenes. The difficulties encountered here as elsewhere have become a development force that will not stop President Fernandes and his entire team, united around him, anytime soon.
There is tradition in Portuguese judo but also a good dose of originality. It is undoubtedly the combination of the two that works so well.