Observations of the 1^st World Championship for judoka with an intellectual disability

Abstract

The first World Championship for judoka with an intellectual disability, to which I was dispatched as a member of the All Japan Judo Federation team, was held from October 10-22, 2017, in Cologne, Germany. Officially supported by the International Judo Federation (IJF) and the International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (INAS), this event became the first world championship which enabled judo athletes with intellectual impairments to compete on the world stage under special refereeing regulations that are recognized by the IJF. Therefore, this pioneering event served as a historic milestone for the future development of judo for intellectually impaired athletes. Despite many remaining issues, this world championship can be considered a huge success for the future of competitive judo for intellectually impaired athletes. The support of the IJF will be crucial for the further development of judo for the intellectually impaired in the future.