“The number of countries and athletes participating in this 2023 edition of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam demonstrates the extent to which this event has grown over the years. It has become an essential moment on the world calendar. This is already the 14th edition. We began in 2009 with a grand prix, which quickly became a grand slam and every year we get better. At the beginning it was not easy but we worked very hard to offer a competition worthy of the biggest international meetings and the World Judo Tour.
The first day of competition showed how strong judo is. This is a good thing for the public and for media interest. The sporting level and the level of organisation are very high. Through 14 editions we have made a lot of effort and today I can say that a grand slam like this is more relaxed for me; I can enjoy the judo. Our team of organisers has grown. The technical and organisational level has improved greatly. We have a great relationship with the IJF and that helps a lot.
This grand slam also helps with the development of judo in the Emirates. Today we can say that judo is known in the country and it continues to develop rapidly. This is why we also wanted to host the veteran and kata world championships. It’s a new challenge that’s a little different.
At the grand slam, we have the best athletes in the world. Not everyone can participate because you have to have the level and be selected by your country. There are big issues at stake with the Olympic Games approaching. With veterans and kata, we will offer the same level of organisation but it will also be open to new audiences. There will be a lot of people coming to discover Abu Dhabi. This will allow us to further develop this community dimension of judo, the judo family.
Our idea is to further combine the grand slam for the world’s elite and events for veterans, for kata specialists and for young people, of course. We now have our judo headquarters established with its own judo venue. We will continue to use the stadium here for the grand slam but we will invest more time and resources in new equipment which will help us to host more and more sporting events in the years to come."
Naser Al Tamimi's words are clear and underline the extent to which the high level is inseparable from the rest of the judo world. Everything works in synergy and this is what allows judo to rise ever higher.