The Tribune

PREVAILING over several developed nations that vied for the honour, the Bahamas has been chosen to host the Judo Junior World Championships in October this year, announced D'Arcy Rahming, president of the Bahamas Judo Federation.

The Junior Worlds are the third most high profile tournament in the sport, surpassed only by the Senior Worlds and the Olympics.

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 TV viewers in more than 100 countries worldwide.

World level judo tournaments are regularly attended by world leaders such as Russia's Vladimir Putin, the UAE's 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.

On hand this week for the official announcement will be several of world judo's leading lights, including International Judo Federation Advisor to the President (IJF) Daniel Lascau, IJF development director Jose Rodriguez and President of Judo Canada and secretary general of the Pan American Judo Confederation Mike Tamura.

Local dignitaries will include the directors of youth, sports, sport tourism and education. Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Michael Pintard is expected to bring remarks during Thursday's press conference at 11:30am in the Imperial Ballroom of the Atlantis resort.