14 December 2016

EJU HONOURED RETIRED EC MEMBERS

EJU 68th Ordinary Congress

EJU HONOURED RETIRED EC MEMBERS

The EJU Ordinary Congress is therefore a worthy occasion to honour deserving persons. EJU President Sergey Soloveychik awarded the EJU Gold Order of Merit to Franco Capelletti, fomer EJU Vice President, Jan Snijders, former EJU Refereeing Director and Envic Galea, former General Secratary. 


EJU GOLD ORDER OF MERIT

FRANCO CAPELLETTI – EJU Gold Order of Merit, Honorary Member

VASILY SMOLIN – EJU Plaque of Appreciation

A lifetime in judo, the head of a judo family; Vasily Smolin is a recognized authority in the world of judo and a specialist with years of experience in coaching and officiating. Vasily was a highly accomplished referee and officiated at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. It is, however, as a referee commissioner on the international circuit that Vasily is most widely known and respected. The holder of a 7th Dan, he is the founder and head of the children’s and youth sports school “Judo-88”. He has earned the respect of colleagues and professionals throughout the world of judo and has spent 19 years as EJU Refereeing Commissioner. 

BERND ACHILLES – EJU Plaque of Appreciation

Bernd Achilles very quickly became part of the DJB, German Judo Federation Refereeing Commission immediately after the reunification of the two Germanys. Bernd has served as a member of the EJU Refereeing Commission for almost 20 years most recently becoming Refereeing Director with the IJF. Unfortunately he had not been able to receive this honour at the congress so that Peter Frese, president of the German Judo Federation collected the plaque on Bernd’s behalf.


It was in Athens, in 1991, that Envic Galea began his association with the administration of the EJU in his role as assistant to the General Secretary. Envic has, since that time, held various roles within the EJU, including Head Sport Director but most notably that of General Secretary administering the General Secretariat of the Union with its 51 members and almost 100 yearly international events and spearheading many new successful projects, particularly in the area of education.

JAN SNIJDERS – EJU Gold Order of Merit, Honorary Member

After a highly successful career as a judoka competing at world and Olympic level, Jan Snijders found his way back to the tatami this time as a referee; first at national level in his native Netherlands, then continental with the EJU and eventually with the IJF. Jan’s return to the tatami included the 7th World Championships and several Olympic Games (including Seoul in 1988, and Barcelona in 1992) after which a second retirement from the tatami saw him become a member of the EJU Refereeing Committee. For the past 13 years Jan has been EJU Refereeing Director and actively involved in European and World championships and at Olympic Games ever since.

In 2003 he was graded to 8th dan and in the same year the IJF honored him with the Silver Medal for his merits in the sport of judo.


EJU PLAQUE OF APPRECIATION 

VASILY SMOLIN – EJU Plaque of Appreciation

A lifetime in judo, the head of a judo family; Vasily Smolin is a recognized authority in the world of judo and a specialist with years of experience in coaching and officiating. Vasily was a highly accomplished referee and officiated at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. It is, however, as a referee commissioner on the international circuit that Vasily is most widely known and respected. The holder of a 7th Dan, he is the founder and head of the children’s and youth sports school “Judo-88”. He has earned the respect of colleagues and professionals throughout the world of judo and has spent 19 years as EJU Refereeing Commissioner. 

BERND ACHILLES – EJU Plaque of Appreciation

Bernd Achilles very quickly became part of the DJB, German Judo Federation Refereeing Commission immediately after the reunification of the two Germanys. Bernd has served as a member of the EJU Refereeing Commission for almost 20 years most recently becoming Refereeing Director with the IJF. Unfortunately he had not been able to receive this honour at the congress so that Peter Frese, president of the German Judo Federation collected the plaque on Bernd’s behalf.


Franco began his sporting career as a footballer but eventually left football to devote himself entirely to Judo. From the mid 1970s Franco held various administrative posts in his native Italy and, since 1994, has been involved with the EJU. Franco was among other things an assistant sport director, sport director, and vice president before being invited by Yamashita Yasuhiro to join him in the IJF as a member of the Education and Coaching Commission. Mr. Franco Capelletti is the only Italian to be graded to the degree of 9th Dan.

ENVIC GALEA – EJU Gold Order of Merit, Honorary Member

It was in Athens, in 1991, that Envic Galea began his association with the administration of the EJU in his role as assistant to the General Secretary. Envic has, since that time, held various roles within the EJU, including Head Sport Director but most notably that of General Secretary administering the General Secretariat of the Union with its 51 members and almost 100 yearly international events and spearheading many new successful projects, particularly in the area of education.

JAN SNIJDERS – EJU Gold Order of Merit, Honorary Member

After a highly successful career as a judoka competing at world and Olympic level, Jan Snijders found his way back to the tatami this time as a referee; first at national level in his native Netherlands, then continental with the EJU and eventually with the IJF. Jan’s return to the tatami included the 7th World Championships and several Olympic Games (including Seoul in 1988, and Barcelona in 1992) after which a second retirement from the tatami saw him become a member of the EJU Refereeing Committee. For the past 13 years Jan has been EJU Refereeing Director and actively involved in European and World championships and at Olympic Games ever since.

In 2003 he was graded to 8th dan and in the same year the IJF honored him with the Silver Medal for his merits in the sport of judo.


EJU PLAQUE OF APPRECIATION 

VASILY SMOLIN – EJU Plaque of Appreciation

A lifetime in judo, the head of a judo family; Vasily Smolin is a recognized authority in the world of judo and a specialist with years of experience in coaching and officiating. Vasily was a highly accomplished referee and officiated at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. It is, however, as a referee commissioner on the international circuit that Vasily is most widely known and respected. The holder of a 7th Dan, he is the founder and head of the children’s and youth sports school “Judo-88”. He has earned the respect of colleagues and professionals throughout the world of judo and has spent 19 years as EJU Refereeing Commissioner. 

BERND ACHILLES – EJU Plaque of Appreciation

Bernd Achilles very quickly became part of the DJB, German Judo Federation Refereeing Commission immediately after the reunification of the two Germanys. Bernd has served as a member of the EJU Refereeing Commission for almost 20 years most recently becoming Refereeing Director with the IJF. Unfortunately he had not been able to receive this honour at the congress so that Peter Frese, president of the German Judo Federation collected the plaque on Bernd’s behalf.