On February 27, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev received International Judo Federation (IJF) President Marius Vizer, who visited the country as part of the prestigious “Grand Slam” international tournament.

Discussions focused on expanding cooperation between Uzbekistan and the IJF to develop the countryʼs judo school and promote the sport.

Uzbekistan has been actively involved in the federationʼs initiatives. In 2022, the country successfully hosted the World Judo Championships for adults, followed by the World Championship among military personnel in 2023. Notably, at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris, Diyora Keldiyorova won a gold medal in judo for the first time in the history of Uzbekistan.

Head of the federation Marius Vizer praised Uzbekistanʼs large-scale reforms to promote a healthy lifestyle, support all types of sports, engage youth—especially girls—in sports, and develop modern sports infrastructure.

The meeting also focused on expanding the federationʼs technical and expert assistance in training athletes, coaches, and referees and implementing an effective mechanism for identifying talented judokas.

In addition, it was proposed to hold regular international judo competitions in the regions of our country.

At the end of the meeting, the President of Uzbekistan awarded the head of the IJF Marius Vizer a high state honor – the Order “Dustlik”, in recognition of his significant personal contribution to the development of the national judo school.