All Red Star judoka are eagerly waiting for the final tournament of the year, the Champions League. The current vice-champions of the strongest club competition within the European Judo Union this season, embark on a quest for the only trophy missing from the trophy cabinet at Ljutice Bogdana.
As part of the preparations for the upcoming event, which will gather the elite of judo on the 9th of December at the Štark Arena in Belgrade, Dr Tóth László, the President of the European Judo Union, visited the Serbian capital. Together with Ivan Todorov, the President of the Judo Federation of Serbia, and Stojan Vujko, the President of the Assembly of Red Star Sport Association and the President of the Board of Directors of Judo Club Red Star, they addressed representatives of the media who showed great interest in the upcoming event.
We have the honor that the President of the European Judo Union is visiting Serbia for the third time in a short period. The Judo Federation of Serbia and the European Judo Union have excellent cooperation. With the full support of President Tóth, in the past two years, we have implemented, above all, inclusive judo, which is a project of the European Judo Union, as well as the development of school sports. Alongside these projects, this year we are hosting the Congress of the European Judo Federation and the Champions League, which will take place on 9 December in Belgrade,
Ivan Todorov, the President of the Judo Federation of Serbia, who announced joint organization of an international tournament for 2024.
Next season, we will implement a joint project, a competition titled “Serbian-Hungarian Friendship Tournament,” in which all clubs and children up to the age of 14 will participate. Serbia will host the event next year, and Hungary will be the host in 2025. With this, we send a message of good relations between Serbia and Hungary, primarily between the Judo Federation of Serbia and the Judo Federation of Hungary. We have informed the President of the European Judo Union about all activities related to the Congress and the Champions League, and with good organization, I expect Serbian clubs to represent our country with a good performance. It will be an opportunity to send a message of friendship to the European Judo Federation and to continue spreading the principles of judo,
concluded Ivan Todorov.
László Tóth, the President of the European Judo Union, did not hide his satisfaction with the ongoing preparations for the upcoming Champions League.
I am very pleased with the exceptional interest of the media in this event. I can freely say that the dream continues because after February of this year, when I had extremely successful meetings with the Minister of Sport, the President of the Olympic Committee, the President of the Judo Federation of Serbia, and the President of the Judo Club Red Star, I am extremely satisfied with the course of preparations in Belgrade. In 2022, the best-organized event was the Champions League in Georgia. I am confident that Belgrade will continue with top-notch achievements
said Tóth László, the President of the EJU. László Tóth directed special praises to the Judo Federation of Serbia.
I would like to express special thanks to the Serbian Judo Federation because I am pleased to see that Serbian judo is growing. Three weeks ago, I enjoyed the final match, and I can only imagine what the European Championship and the Olympics final will look like next year in Paris. The progress of Serbian judo is noticeable, and we fully support their program. I am very positive about everything that awaits them in the future, and I am focused on the next week because the Congress is an extremely important event. We expect around 40 leading countries, presidents, and other officials. Yesterday we had a series of successful meetings regarding future preparations for 2024 – 2028. These are confidential data for now, but I can promise you that we have big plans, and this will not be the last competition in Serbia.
Stojan Vujko, the President of the Assembly of the Sports Society Red Star and the President of the Board of Directors of Judo Club Red Star, announced the pursuit of the title, the only trophy currently missing from the trophy collection of the club from Ljutice Bogdana.
It is a special honor as the president of the Sports Society to host the president of the European Judo Federation. Regarding the preparations for the Champions League, they are progressing in the best possible order. Our ambitions are always championship-worthy, and the results we have achieved in recent years testify to that. The Champions League in 2022 in Tbilisi and 2021 in Paris clearly indicate that we are at the forefront of the international club scene. We are confident that armed with excellent sports form and our fans, we will be able to win the long-desired championship trophy in the Champions League this season. As you know, the Champions League is the strongest club competition in judo and will gather a record number of participants this year. The European Judo Union has decided to change the competition format and merge the former forms of the Champions League and the Europa League into one championship. In Belgrade, on 9 December, 16 teams will compete on the mats of the Arena in the Champions League in both men’s and women’s categories. It is certain that on that day, Belgrade will be the epicenter of world judo, and we will host the elite of our sport.
We expect top-notch results from both the men’s and women’s teams. It is important to note that Red Star’s female judokas, as debutants in the Champions League last year, secured a seventh-place finish. The excellent individual results that our judokas achieve on the international sports scene give us every right to hope for a top-notch outcome.
Author: EJU Media