20.09.2024 / News

Outstanding judokas from Russia and abroad took part in the Eurasian Women's Forum

For the first time in the history of the Forum, representatives of the Russian Judo Federation took part in the business program.

On the second day of the Forum, a sports meeting "Women's Judo: a 40-Year-Long Path of Victories" was held, which brought together famous athletes. "Olympians" and world prize winners - Lyubov Bruletova, Tea Donguzashvili, Madina Taymazova, Victoria Kazunina and Alexandra Babintseva, as well as winners of the highest awards of the European Championships, spoke about their development in sports and shared their plans for the future.

"I started mastering the 'flexible path' back in 1987, when the first sections for girls were just opening in our country," said Sydney Olympic medalist Lyubov Bruletova. "Back then, training took place in small halls, often in semi-basements, and those involved did not have normal equipment. Finding a kimono for my height, which is 150 cm, was almost impossible. But we loved the sport so sincerely and unconditionally, we wanted to achieve results so much, and our coaches, who worked in most cases on 'sheer enthusiasm', motivated us and emotionally nourished us so much that we achieved our goals despite the circumstances."

World and Olympic bronze medalist Madina Taymazova: "Judo is a noble and beautiful martial art, and therefore in the Caucasus, where sports for women are quite rare due to cultural peculiarities, our martial art is highly respected, and many Ossetian girls take to the tatami. I was born into a family of athletes, wrestlers, and I began my career on the mat. Once, having asked my father, a freestyle wrestling coach, for permission to "train after school", I came to the judo hall and stayed there - I realized that this martial art, its philosophy and principles are completely in tune with my inner worldview. Judo teaches not only strength, but also flexibility of body and mind, and these are very useful qualities, especially for a woman."

European Champion Olga Sonina told how she became a coach after finishing her sports career. She developed her own method of training preschoolers. The 2004 Games medalist Tea Donguzashvili also spoke about the development of her coaching career:

"I won awards at European Championships, at World Championships, and after finishing my performance on the tatami, I stayed in the judo family – I became a national team coach. My charges, who came out of the youth team, are already winning medals at major competitions and are also here today, at the forum site – as winners of the women's professional competition "Russian Judo Tour Among" juniors under 23, a special project of the FDR, dedicated to the 40th anniversary."

After the meeting, a ceremonial award ceremony for the legendary athletes and new "stars" of Russian sports was held in the Catherine Hall. In his welcoming speech, the President of the Russian Judo Federation Sergey Soloveichik noted: "Judo is a way to find ways to interact with an opponent. It is the ability to make a partner out of an opponent. Today, this skill is necessary for everyone without exception. I would like to congratulate the female judokas on the 40th anniversary of Russian women's judo. You are the most beautiful part of our favorite sport. I wish you success both on the tatami and beyond."

The meeting was also attended by foreign guests, including member of the executive committee of the Spanish Judo Federation Carmen Calvo and the general secretary of the Greek Judo Federation Valentina Stefanidou.

Based on materials from the FDR press service