The Tokyo general assembly of the International Judo Federation (IJF) decided on Thursday that it will move its headquarters from Lausanne, Switzerland to the Hungarian capital Budapest.
According to Rmx.news, this is the first time a global sports body has elected to have its main offices in Hungary.
“Budapest is in the middle of Europe, easily reachable from anywhere in the world by land, sea or air. The level of our services is rapidly catching up with western Europe and in price/value terms we are extremely competitive on a global level,” said Balázs Fürjes, government commissioner for the development of Budapest.
He added that the move was initiated by the Hungarian government with the aim to boost tourism and conference activity. Last year, Hungary passed a law allowing international sports bodies to choose a simplified tax scheme with lower dues.
The IJF has some 40 million members worldwide.
Photo credit: gaisf.sport