Iran, IJF discuss expanded cooperation during Kazakhstan Grand Slam
Arash Miresmaeili, President of the Iran Judo Federation, said he held a “highly important, private and influential” meeting with Marius Vizer, President of the International Judo Federation (IJF), on the sidelines of the Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam 2026 in Kazakhstan. According to Miresmaeili, the meeting lasted nearly two hours.
Miresmaeili said a wide range of issues related to Iranian judo were discussed during the talks. He added that Vizer expressed satisfaction with his recent meeting with Iran’s Minister of Sports and Youth and pledged continued cooperation with Iranian judo. It was also agreed that the IJF would support members of Iran’s national judo team to help ensure their participation in upcoming international competitions.
The Iran Judo Federation president said that taking part in IJF joint training camps and competing in high-level tournaments would help accelerate the progress of Iran’s young judokas.
Miresmaeili also stated that discussions were held regarding Iranian referees and the possibility of expanding their presence at the international level. He announced that, with the support of the IJF president, an international coaching course involving 50 Iranian coaches and taught by world-class instructors will be held in Tehran in the coming months.
“Our coaches have been absent from such courses for several years, and this program could represent a major leap forward for them,” Miresmaeili said.
Referring to the four-year suspension of Iranian judo, he said the federation had remained active throughout the ban and was now focused on returning strongly to international events.
“After six years, we competed in a Grand Slam event again, which itself shows that we are aiming for major international arenas,” he said.
Miresmaeili further revealed that Vizer expressed condolences over the deaths of eight Iranian judokas during the recent war and asked him to convey his message of sympathy to their families. Vizer also expressed regret over the destruction of Iran’s national judo training camp during recent attacks.
The Iran Judo Federation president added that the IJF chief had formally invited Iran’s Minister of Sports and Youth to attend the Senior World Judo Championships, scheduled to be held in Azerbaijan in October, as a special guest.
Commenting on the participation of three Iranian judokas in the Grand Slam tournaments in Tajikistan and Kazakhstan, Miresmaeili said the federation had gradually promoted teenage and youth athletes over the past two years. After competing in World Cup events last year, the athletes advanced to higher-level competitions, including this year’s Grand Slam tournaments.
He praised the courage of the national team coaching staff, noting that the team had gone two months without training and missed several competitions, yet still chose to participate in the Grand Slam events.
“Due to the special circumstances, we spent nearly 30 hours traveling overland,” he said.
Miresmaeili emphasized that the Iranian judokas competing in the events were between 17 and 20 years old and needed exposure to elite-level tournaments in order to gain experience and prepare for larger international competitions.
Given the circumstances, he said the athletes’ performances should not be judged, stressing that the main goal was participation and the accumulation of world ranking points ahead of future events, including competitions in Nagoya.
Describing the federation’s recent efforts as “a major transformation” for Iranian judo, Miresmaeili said the recent defeats could ultimately prove to be “a valuable investment for the future.”
“We must strive for a strong performance at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya and then begin thinking about the Olympic Games,” he said.