IJF President Mr. Marius Vizer was welcomed to the Hungarian Parliament on Tuesday for a working lunch with the Prime Minister of Hungary, His Excellency Viktor Orban.

Mr. Vizer regards the meeting as an 'honour for judo' and revealed that the topics discussed included an evaluation of the last Judo World Championships held in Budapest and issues related to judo in Hungary and at international level.

Mr. Vizer, who returned on Monday from the World Judo Masters 2017, the successful conclusion to the IJF World Judo Tour in St. Petersburg, Russia, was invited for an official working lunch in Budapest.

The IJF President said: "Hungary is one of the countries which most invests in sport: mass sport, high-performance and the best international sports events in Hungary. The impact of this investment is beneficial for all Hungarian sport and not only.

"Hungary holds the world record as far as the Judo educational program "Judo in Schools" is concerned, with approximately 330 schools that implemented judo within their educational and sports curriculum.

"I would like to thank the Hungarian Government and Prime-Minister Orban for their continuous support of sports in general and of judo especially.

"I wish all the Hungarian and international athletes happy holidays and best achievements for the next year!"

Mr. Vizer and Mr. Orban, who joined world leaders and key international figures in Budapest at the Suzuki World Judo Championships 2017 such as Russian President and IJF Honorary President Vladimir Putin and President of Mongolia, H.E. Battulga Khaltmaa, also discussed Hungary's sports development strategy and the importance of the new generation's education.

The positive talks were well-received by all parties. Hungarian Judo Association President Dr. Laszlo Toth -- who was also a guest at the World Judo Masters - and Mr. Tunde Szabo, Hungary's State Secretary of Sports, were also part of the delegation for the official visit.

See also
Video
Farewell to a True Judo Artist

28. Jan. 2026 / The IJF has paid tribute to one of the most admired ...

Paris GS 2026
Paris GS 2026: What to Look Out For? (Part 1)

28. Jan. 2026 / The Paris Grand Slam 2026 is fast approaching.

Legends
Dennis van der Geest: a Life Built on Judo

27. Jan. 2026 / Every generation of judoka has its defining figures, ...

Paris GS 2026
Where the Season Begins and Dreams Take Shape

27. Jan. 2026 / If there is one event that the judo world eagerly awaits, ...

News
Triple Event in Casablanca Kicks Off an Ambitious 2026 Season

27. Jan. 2026 / Casablanca, Morocco, had the privilege of opening what ...

Judo for All
Invisible Young Athletes: Making Inclusion Visible Through Sport

27. Jan. 2026 / The Erasmus+ project InYA, Invisible Young Athletes, ...

Judo for Peace
The Year Begins with International Exchange

26. Jan. 2026 / The new year began with energy and purpose for Judo ...

Interview
Julien Goes Around the World (36)

26. Jan. 2026 / With the arrival of 2026, the Judo Nomad project enters ...

Kata
Gijón Launches the Kata World Series Season

25. Jan. 2026 / The 2026 kata season began on Sunday 25th January in ...

News
In Casablanca, Referees Aim to Harmonise

24. Jan. 2026 / Prior to the first of three days of intense competition ...

News
Towards a Universal Reference for Judo Grades

23. Jan. 2026 / Recognising that disparities existed in the awarding ...

History
Masutaro Otani: A Pioneer of Judo in Britain

22. Jan. 2026 / The history of judo in Britain was shaped long before ...

Green Dojo
Raising Judoka, Caring for the Future

21. Jan. 2026 / Located in Ilioupoli, a suburb of Athens, the Ilioupoli ...

INTERVIEW EXPRESS
Shishime Ai (JPN)

08. Jun. 2018 / The next reigning world champion to be invited to answer ...

News
5 Key Takeaways from judo’s first Tokyo 2020 qualifier

06. Jun. 2018 / Highlights from Hohhot Grand Prix 2018

VIDEO
Judo for the World in Iran

07. Jun. 2018 / In April 2018, the International Judo Federation and ...

Meeting
JUDO: A Beneficial Cause

07. Jun. 2018 / 'Society should believe in sport as a beneficial cause ...