On Sunday, 10 May, the Hungarian Judo Association held its elective General Assembly at the Hungarian House of Sport, where Olympic bronze medallist Tóth Krisztián was elected President for the next term, exceptionally set at two and a half years.
Rarely has an assembly of the Hungarian federation attracted such significant attention. Of the 130 delegates entitled to vote, 104 collected their mandates at the conference hall, while the unusually high level of media interest underlined the importance of this moment for Hungarian judo.
The heightened attention followed the announcement made several months ago by Dr Tóth László, who confirmed that after 28 years at the helm of Hungarian judo, he would not seek re-election due to his growing responsibilities as President of the European Judo Union (EJU).
The General Assembly was opened by Dr Tóth László, who welcomed delegates and distinguished guests, including Fábián László, Secretary General of the Hungarian Olympic Committee, and Baji Balázs. Proceedings began with a moment of remembrance for members of the Hungarian judo family lost in recent times, before Dr Tallár Ákos was announced to chair the meeting.
EJU President Dr Tóth László, reflected on the occasion with heartfelt words;
“When it became clear last summer that I could no longer continue this work and when I announced my decision at the Executive Board meeting in September 2025, I did not fully realise how difficult this moment would be. It is extremely difficult. “I would like to thank every member of the judo family for the cooperation and the work we have shared together. At the same time, I say this knowing that I am not leaving. As President of the European Judo Union, I will continue to support Hungarian judo in the very same way that I support all 51 member federations of the EJU.” said Dr Tóth.
Attention then turned to the presidential election. Four candidates had initially submitted applications: Balogh Levente, Dr Csizmadia Zoltán, Dr Sulányi Péter and Tóth Krisztián. Following candidate presentations, Dr Sulányi Péter withdrew his candidacy, leaving three contenders for the vote.
In the secret ballot, 101 delegates voted, with 98 valid votes cast. Tóth Krisztián received 70 votes, securing his election as the new President of the federation.
The 32-year-old is one of Hungary’s most successful judoka in recent history. Among his achievements are an Olympic bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, multiple world and European championship medals, as well as 10 national titles. Even in the recent past, he continued to medal on the International Judo Federation World Judo Tour while increasingly taking on coaching responsibilities alongside his competitive career.
Ahead of the election, Tóth Krisztián explained that his decision to run for the presidency was not made lightly. After extensive discussions with family members, coaches and trusted figures within the sport, he concluded that his experience as an elite athlete, combined with his academic background in leadership and coaching, had prepared him for a future role in sports administration. Despite mixed reactions regarding his age and experience, Tóth remained confident in his vision and determination.
A central pillar of his candidacy was the long-term strengthening of Hungarian judo at every level. Tóth stressed the importance of not only supporting elite athletes but also widening the foundations of the sport by investing in youth development, recruitment, infrastructure and athlete pathways. He highlighted the need to learn from successful international sporting models while adapting them to the realities and opportunities within Hungary.
Tóth also underlined the importance of transparency, unity and preserving the traditions of judo. Alongside supporting smaller clubs, kata and recreational judo, he advocated for stronger connections between grassroots and elite sport to ensure talented young athletes are not lost within the system. Above all, he stated that his ambition was to serve the sport with integrity, professionalism and a clear athlete-centred vision for the future.
Delegates also approved the composition of the new Executive Board, with positions uncontested and therefore not requiring a secret ballot.
Dr Kovács Antal was elected First Vice President, Biró Norbert as Vice President for Sport, Dr Jernei Zoltán as General Treasurer, Szentpétery Arnold as Vice President for Education, and Dr Demény Ádám as Vice President for Marketing. Pupp Réka will serve as Chair of the Athletes’ Commission.
Representing the Performance Sport Commission, Nagy András and his deputy, Cirjenics Miklós, were elected. Dr Eleki Zoltán was elected as the Head of Refereeing Commission, Morvai-Sey Kata as the Chair of University and College Commission, while Gosztonyi Zsolt secured election from the National Technical Grading Commission.
Regional federation representatives elected to the Executive Board include Petrányi Imre, Nagysolymosi Sándor Jr, Keszthelyi László, Sebestyén László, Hatos Zsuzsanna and Fazekas Csaba. Additional reserve board members and commission leaders were also elected during the assembly, with the full composition to be published by the federation in due course.
Source: Gombkoto Roland / Images: Hungarian Judo Association
Author: EJU Media