After the national anthem of the host country and the IJF anthem, CJF President Dr. Corak welcomed the attendants of the event.
“It’s a great pleasure to welcome you at this Grand Prix. We are very proud of this 7th edition our federation organizes and very happy that no less than 87 nations decided to send their athletes to Zagreb. Thank you for coming. We hope to be a good host for you all. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank our volunteers, sponsors, the city of Zagreb, the Tourism board and the Croatian government, as well as IJF President Vizer and his team for all their support. I wish you a pleasant stay. Enjoy the competition.”
IJF Ambassador and well-known singer Albano Carrisi spoke on behalf of the IJF.
“It is a great pleasure for the IJF to be here in Croatia for the seventh time for a Grand Prix. I would like to congratulate Dr. Corak and her team for their excellent organization once again, the Croatian Judo Federation is really a world-class host and organizer. This year we have 87 nations and 558 judoka taking part which shows the popularity and high reputation of this competition. This is the final event before the World Championships next month and is vitally important to the athletes and all the teams as they make their final preparations. On behalf of the IJF President Mr. Marius L. Vizer, I would like to wish good luck to all the judokas, and I thank you all for your continued support of the IJF World Judo Tour.”
Next, the Personal Representative of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Mr. Gordan Grlic Radman, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs officially opened the Zagreb Grand Prix.
“Sport is the best way to learn about discipline, about winning and losing, to train body and mind to learn about competition. The word ‘judo’ means ‘gentle way’, a physical, mental and moral discipline of Japanese origin from the late 19th century developed into a martial art which later became an Olympic sport. It’s basic principle is to win but strictly by the rules based on fairplay and self-control. I’m pleased to see so many athletes came to Zagreb to give their best on the Zagreb tatami. I wish you a good and dynamic competition. All the best!”