Kazakhstan Judo Federation and the International Judo Federation (IJF) have signed a four-year contract to host four Grand Slam judo tournaments in Astana and Almaty, QazMonitor reports.
Qazaqstan barysy Grand Slams will be held in the 2023-2026 period. Judokas who will compete in these events will be able to earn points for the Paris Summer Olympics in 2024 and Los Angeles in 2028.
Grand Slams is a series of world competitions held as part of the IJF World Tour. Winners and medalists are awarded points in the world and Olympic rankings – 1,000 points for the first place, 700 for second and 500 for third.
Kazakhstan is the third country in Central Asia to host IJF World Tour.
During the signing, IJF president Marius Vizer noted the country’s great potential in terms of attracting a new generation of athletes to the sport. Vizer expressed his hope that the newly established partnership will lead to an increase in the popularity of judo in Kazakhstan.