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Hungary hosts international Grand Slam judo tournament

Between October 23-25, Hungary hosted its first international Grand Slam judo tournament in Budapest.

 

The competition included 405 competitors from 61 countries and 4 continents. The three-day event took place at Laszlo Papp Sports Arena. It was held without spectators due to the epidemic.

Gergely Gulyás, the prime minister’s chief of staff, spoke at the opening ceremony. He thanked the International Judo Federation (IJF) for choosing Hungary to be the country where the world’s top judokas return to action.

The International Judo Federation brings together more than 200 national federations and five continental unions. László Tóth, the head of the Hungarian Judo Association, expressed his thanks to the government and IJF for giving Hungary the chance to host its first Grand Slam tournament.

The last time Hungary hosted an international judo event was the World Judo Championships in 2017. The event was attended by President Vladimir Putin, the honorary president of the International Judo Federation.

The Judo World Championships are set to be held in Budapest in 2021. The event will be a qualifier for the Tokyo Olympics.