Envic Galea, director of the IJF Academy explains, "Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, occupies a central geographical position on the Pan American continent. Access is easy and does not require a visa. The Cost for flights and the accommodation are not expensive.
Beyond this administrative dimension, the President of the judo federation, Gilberto Garcia, and his team are very supportive and experienced. The National Olympic Committee is also very helpful.”
For this first session in the Dominican Republic in 2024, 5 Pan American countries were present. The President of the NOC visited the students at the end of the practical session and presented the IOC Olympic Solidarity certificates.
The session offered the opportunity for local and international experts to meet the Tourist and Traffic Police Department and high-ranking officials to demonstrate the effectiveness of judo as a form of physical fitness and its usefulness in their daily job to diffuse difficult situations.
The opening of this session was headed by Gilberto Garcia and the general of the national police, Minoru Matsunaga, Central Director of the Tourist Police. Minoru Matsunaga is the son of Mamoru Matsunaga, considered the father of judo in the Dominican Republic. Then the training session was given by IJF Academy expert Slavisa Bradic of Croatia. The IJF Academy also visited a major private judo club in a large sports centre in Santo Domingo.
This 5th edition of the IJF Academy course in the Dominican Republic and the different meetings that were held, offered the IJF experts and the national federation a good opportunity to exchange on the development of judo at the national and continental level. The number of graduate students in the region is increasing rapidly, offering more opportunities to improve the overall level of judo.