The opening ceremony of Grand Slam judo tournament was held in Baku.
The event organized at the National Gymnastics Arena was attended by Rashad Nabiyev, President of the Azerbaijan Judo Federation (ACF), Marius Vizer, President of the International Judo Federation (IJF), and representatives of the sports community, Idman.biz reports.
At the ceremony, a video clip reflecting the achievements in the field of sports, as well as in judo, was first shown.
Then Rashad Nabiyev spoke about the importance of the Grand Slam. He said that holding this prestigious competition in Azerbaijan will be a significant contribution to the popularization of judo in our country. Grand Slam creates an opportunity for local athletes to test their strength by bringing together strong athletes in one competition. Last year was a very successful year for Azerbaijani judo. Both Hidayat Heydarov and Zelim Kotsayev won gold medals at the World Championships and the Olympics. The basis of these successes is the care shown to sports by Mr. President. It is in accordance with his instructions that our main goal is not only to win medals in the international arena, but also to raise a new generation in judo in our country.
He also thanked President of the International Judo Federation, Marius Vizer, for his confidence in Azerbaijan: "I believe that this event will be held at a high level. I wish all athletes success."
In his speech, Marius Vizer said that judo in Azerbaijan is developing day by day: "I congratulate the entire Azerbaijani judo family, especially Rashad Nabiyev, on the successes achieved in Paris. I thank you for the work done to promote judo. I wish success to the athletes participating in this tournament. Enjoy Azerbaijan".
He then declared the competition open.
After that, the National Anthem was played.
258 judokas from 36 countries participated in the Grand Slam. The competition will conclude tomorrow.
Aytac Sahad
Idman.biz
