In fact, Saeid Mollaei has just joined the IBSA/IJF Joint Working Commission. He talks to us about his new life, his ambitions and what he can and still wants to contribute to the great judo family.
"I am here with the judo family, my judo family, as IJF staff and also with IBSA. It feels really good being here. Otherwise I live in Germany and I work in judo. Judo is my life. I do like to work, especially with young people. I like to teach them what I know and they are keen to learn. I find it easy to work with young people but moreover, I'm happy to work in judo.
In parallel, I also follow the IJF Academy. I work everyday and every week I have some exams before I can do the practical session. It's very interesting and I am learning a lot. I really like it.
My involvement with Para-judo dates back many years. I have already worked with the German IBSA team but this was not a permanent job. I was just there to help. Tbilisi is my first event officially as a member of the new IBSA/IJF Joint Working Commission. I am really looking forward to working together with IBSA to see how we can bring Para-judo to the next level.
All in all we are talking about judo and that is the most important thing. There is a lot in common between the IJF and IBSA; there are also some differences but we have judo as a common language and this is exactly what I want to bring to the IBSA family. For the moment, I am here to learn, to discover, to understand. This is the first step. Then I believe I can bring what I know and what I experienced through my life within the sport.
The IJF is a very professional organisation at all levels. Not only on the tatami, but at every step you take in judo, you see that the IJF has an answer. This is something I'd be happy to collaborate with, with IBSA. I must say, that I felt very welcome here. This is the magic of judo; we speak the same language. I believe that in the years to come, we can raise Para-judo to a much higher level.
If now I'm gaining experience, I will do my utmost to create bridges between our organisations. I saw that here in Georgia, there were a lot of Paralympic and world medallists. It is great to see such a high level. The quality of Para-judo has already improved so much over recent years. There is still room for improvement and I will be happy to contribute. I want to say that I won't never be enough thankful to the judo family for having supported me throughout the years."
Saeid Mollaei is stepping into his new life, full of energy and will. If he put an end to his international career, he is still competing from time to time with his club in Germany and has a lot of fun. 2025 is a turning point and will help him to move forward. What is sure is that he has a lot to bring and offer to the judo community, which for him is a real judo family.