The opening ceremony of the Judo Baku Grand Slam 2025 took place at the National Gymnastics Arena.
During the event, the flags of the 36 participating countries were presented to the audience, followed by a video showcasing the achievements of Azerbaijani judokas from the previous year.
Rashad Nabiyev, President of the Azerbaijan Judo Federation, emphasized the importance of Baku hosting such a prestigious tournament for the development of the country’s sports. He also highlighted the two gold medals won by Azerbaijani judokas at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. Nabiyev expressed confidence that the national team would meet expectations at the Grand Slam and thanked Marius Vizer, President of the International Judo Federation (IJF), for his support in organizing the event.
Marius Vizer congratulated Azerbaijan on its success at the Paris Olympics, wished success to all participants, and officially declared the tournament open.
Following the playing of the Azerbaijani National Anthem and the IJF anthem, the final matches commenced.
A total of 32 Azerbaijani judokas (23 men and 9 women) are competing in 12 weight categories at the Baku Grand Slam, which will continue until February 16. In total, 258 judokas from 36 countries are vying for medals.
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