The IJF has confirmed that the Junior World Championships have been moved from Athens to Paris with just over two months to go. The event will be staged from October 22 to 25.
“According to the rules, the organization is not running very well. And they are not following the steps being asked by the International Judo Federation,” said IJF President Marius Vizer.
The IJF expected more than 400 athletes from the 105 member federations for the competition at the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Athens.
But the cost of rooms and the distance of hotels from the arena became too much for the federation.
The closest official hotel to the venue was 290 Euros per head, which the IJF felt was excessive. The cheapest hotel was 27km away and considered too far for the athletes and federation officials to travel in the congested traffic of Athens.