Following a successful showing last year at both the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFT) and Commonwealth Youth Games, The Bahamas has been selected to host the Judo World Junior Championships.
Although the exact dates have not been confirmed, the International Judo Federation (IJF) sanctioned tournament is set for October 2018. In December, The Bahamas was shortlisted, along with Thailand and Colombia, as one of the final three destinations competing to host the championships.
“This unprecedented distinction for Bahamas Judo, follows the phenomenal progress of local competitors on the world stage over the last few years and will attract the gaze of the global judo community, bringing hundreds of attendees to New Providence and television viewers in more than 100 countries worldwide,” said Bahamas Judo Federation (BJF) President D’Arcy Rahming in a press release.
“World level judo tournaments are regularly attended by world leaders such as Russia’s Vladimir Putin, the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Mongolia President Khaltmaagin Battugla, as well as a host of other political and business leaders.”
Several of the sport’s leading figures will be in The Bahamas this week for the official announcement of the event including, IJF Advisor to the President Daniel Lascau, IJF Development Director Jose Rodriguez and Canada Judo President and Pan American Judo Confederation Secretary General Mike Tamura.
The press conference is set for Thursday at noon in the Imperial Ballroom at the Atlantis Resort.
Judo emerged during the Commonwealth Youth Games as a medal sport.
At last year’s Commonwealth Youth Games in The Bahamas, the host nation was able to secure two bronze medals.
