IJF/International Judo Federation
Reference
Barnes, John G. (1952, October). International Judo Federation and European Judo Union. Budokwai Quarterly Bulletin (pp. 13-19).
INTERNATIONAL JUDO FEDERATION
The foundation of an International Judo Organization was proposed by JIGORO KANO in the thirties. They were dark times in Japan, however, as militarism was on the rise. KANO was attempting to get the OLYMPIC GAMES held in Tokyo in 1940 and this occupied his errorts which were successful. His untimely death in 1938 derailed his efforts to organize JUDO internationally, and Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 put a hall to any Japanese activity in international organizations. However, due to several reasons. It was not finalized until July, 1951, when the Congress of the EUROPEAN JUDO UNION established the IJF. In 1952, at the Congress of IJF in Switzerland, Mr. Risei KANO was appointed as President. IJF was composed of 13 member federations only from European countries.
The present IJF consists of 198 National Federations, grouped in 5 Continental Unions – EUROPEAN JUDO UNION 49, PanAmerican Judo Union 40, African JUDO Union 37, Judo Union of Asia 36, Oceania Judo Union. The first WORLD JUDO CHAMPIONSHIPS was held in May 1956 in Tokyo, with 31 participants from 21 countries. Thereafter the Champions was held once in two or three years, and later-on every two years. JUDO, a sport in the OLYMPIC GAMES was admitted as an official sport for the Summer Games at the 57th IJF Session held in August 1960 in Rome. The first JUDO matches in the history of the OLYMPIC GAMES were held at the 18th Tokyo OPYMPIC GAMES in 1964.
Since 2009, IJF has organized yearly World Championships and the World Judo Tour consisting of five Grand Prix, four Grand Slams, a master tournament and a Continental open tournament
IJF Presidents
Aldo Tordi, Italy 1951-1952
Risei Kano, Japan 1952-1965
Charles PALMER
Great Britain 1965-1979
Shigeyoshi
Matsumae, Japan 1979-1987
Sarkis Kaloghian
Argentina 1987-1989
Laurie Hargrave
New Zeland 1989-1991
Louis Baguena
Salvador, Spain 1991-1995
Yong Sung Park,
Korea 1995 -2007
Mr Marius L.
Vizer, Austria 2008- till Present
International Judo Federation
| No. 24 Residences Ouchy-Navigation | Avenue de la Harpe 49 | Lausanne 1007 - Suisse |
| Presidential Office | ||
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| 1051 Budapest | ||
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U.A.E.
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