The flag of the International Judo Federation (IJF) has been officially handed over to Kazakhstan, which will host the next world championships. The ceremony took place during the ongoing World Championships in Baku, infohub.kz reports.
IJF Secretary General Lisa Allan presented the flag to Kuanyshbek Yessekeyev, President of the Judo Federation of Kazakhstan.
The World Judo Championships will be held from June 7 to 14, 2027, in Astana and will serve as one of the key stages of Olympic qualification for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. At the world championships, athletes will compete for crucial ranking points that count toward the allocation of Olympic licenses.
According to Yessekeyev, the upcoming championship is of particular importance for domestic sport and opens up new opportunities for the further development of judo in the country.
"Hosting the World Judo Championships in Kazakhstan is an event of exceptional significance for domestic sport and evidence of the high trust placed in us by the international sports community. For us, this is not only a great honor but also a serious responsibility. Our task is to ensure the championship is held at the highest organizational level, in line with the standards of the International Judo Federation. We will pay special attention to preparing the national team. Competing on home tatami in front of our own fans places additional responsibility on our athletes. We expect worthy results and will create all the necessary conditions for this, improving the training system, providing high-quality coaching support and ensuring athletes' participation in international competitions. A great deal of comprehensive work lies ahead, and we intend to use the upcoming championship not only to strengthen Kazakhstan's position on the global sports stage but also to further develop judo in our country," Yessekeyev said.
The tournament will be one of the key stages of qualification, where athletes will compete for ranking points to secure licenses for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Kazakhstan will host the senior World Judo Championships for the second time in its history — the country first organized the tournament in 2015. In addition, for four years, from 2023 to 2026, Kazakhstan served as host of the prestigious international Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam, which is part of the official calendar of the International Judo Federation (IJF) and is important in the Olympic qualification system. Hosting competitions of such a high level demonstrates the strengthening of Kazakhstan's position in world judo and confirms the country's readiness to host major international sporting events.
Meanwhile, the Kazakh national team finished its performance at the World Championships in Baku with a silver medal. The award was brought to the national team by Sherzod Davlatov, who became world vice-champion in the under-60 kg weight category.