Baku 2026 Draw Nears After IJF Leadership Meeting

The International Judo Federation Executive Committee met in Baku ahead of the Baku World Judo Championships 2026 draw, reviewing the work shaping the sport on and off the tatami. Led by IJF President Marius Vizer, the gathering brought together key figures in international judo before athletes take centre stage.

Several appointments were confirmed during the meeting. Oscar Cassinerio, Klaus Glahn and Habib Sissoko became honorary IJF members, while Felice Mariani was named an IJF Ambassador. Gabor Felegyi was appointed IJF Executive Director and Ruben Houkes took on the role of Marketing Director.

The committee also welcomed Juan Carlos Barcos as Head Referee Director and Timur Kemell as Promotion and Development Director, following their election by the IJF Congress. Barcos returns to a field in which he has already held major international responsibilities, while Kemell begins a new role after years of involvement in judo development.

The Baku draw will set the match-ups for the opening day of the world championships.

Refereeing, education, development and competition were all on the agenda. Head Referee Director Armen Bagdasarov presented statistical analysis from World Judo Tour events, with 48 world referees and nine supervisors regularly working across the international circuit. The IJF also highlighted examination sessions, seminars and its growing cooperation with the IJF Academy as part of efforts to improve consistency in refereeing.

Education and coaching director Mohamed Meridja focused on the meaning of the bow in judo, describing it as an expression of respect rather than a simple gesture. In the sport sector, Vladimir Barta reported continued growth across the World Judo Tour as qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games moves forward.

New grand prix events for cadets and juniors have been added to the calendar, creating more international opportunities for younger judoka. The committee also discussed the next Extraordinary IJF Congress, scheduled for Astana next year before the 2027 world championships.

Participation figures underline the scale of the upcoming event in Baku. According to the latest IJF data, 633 athletes from 96 nations are listed for the individual competition, with 19 teams entered in the mixed team event. Updates were also given on the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, with Hedvig Karakas presenting the latest information on Dakar.

After the meeting, an IJF delegation led by Vizer and Azerbaijan Judo Federation President Rashad Nabiyev visited Baku's Alley of Honors and laid flowers at the tomb of Heydar Aliyev.

The draw takes place on Saturday 3 October, before competition begins on Sunday 4 October. Individual contests run through 10 October, followed by the mixed team event on 11 October.

Source: IJF.org

Image source: IJF / International Judo Federation