Under the auspices of the International Judo Federation and with the support of George Teseleanu and the Hungarian Judo Association, more than six hundred children have found refuge in one of the two countries.
After the evacuation and after some could go back to their country, scores of Ukrainian children are still living abroad and now continue to study and train in local clubs in Hungary and Romania.
We have had some news from them. Today, Ukrainian judoka, together with their coaches, keep studying at local schools, training with local clubs and actively developping both in their social lives and in sport.
A group of judoka are currently in Eforie Nord, Romania, a town and a holiday resort on the Black Sea shore, in Constanța County. They study online in Ukrainian schools, train actively and compete successfully at local judo events. George Teseleanu provided the children with tatami for training and continues to support them on a daily basis. Recently, the Ukrainian Judo Federation expressed its gratitude to Mr Teseleanu for his continuous support and help.
The Hungarian group is located in different cities, where local authorities help them. The municipalities provide transfers for children to go on excursions and to attend competitions, while in one of the cities a local club donated laptops to the children. Some of them study online while others are already integrated into Hungarian schools and technical schools, where they are learning the Hungarian language.
Both groups have become acquainted with the Ukrainian diasporas and take an active part in various events, helping to collect humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
In March 2022, the IJF helped to evacuate 600 children to Romania and Hungary. One year later, the support is still present and will keep being implemented, showing the solidarity of the judo world.