Last week a conference called “Children in sport, champions in life” was held in Zagreb, Croatia. The event was organised by the Croatian Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the European Judo Union and aimed to discuss the benefits of sports for children and young people. The success was reflected in the positive feeling after the event, and if there are different good paths to choose from in the development of an individual, sport, and specifically judo, is one of them.
A sport or simply physical activity in people from childhood or youth is something that improves health and general well-being. Although everyone likes to compete and win tournaments and medals, doing sport lays the foundation for a healthy and prosperous future.
Marius Vizer, President of the International Judo Federation participated in the conference on the panel “Positive youth development through sport” and commented that “judo is one of the main sports in Croatia, Kosovo and Azerbaijan and their federations are growing, achieving good results and making very good contributions to the sport”.
Today, the ‘Children in Sport – Champions in Life’ conference unfolded in Zagreb, Croatia🇭🇷 Mr. Marius Vizer, President of the International Judo Federation, shared insights on ‘Positive Youth Development Through Sport,’ emphasizing the significance of sports like judo in shaping… pic.twitter.com/nR3minQINC
— Marius Vizer (@MariusVizer) April 26, 2024
He further commented that “sport plays a crucial role in every country and society and the success of sport lies in government policies and their support for the sector. Ministries in the first instance and federations in the second instance are very important for this as they ensure accountability in the administration of the budget and the selection of the best specialists for sports education,” Vizer said.
THE CULTURE OF EFFORT
Another factor why “sport is important is because of the culture of effort”, the judo leader underlined, going on to say that there are “children and younger generations who no longer understand the importance of physical work and prefer to study”. In addition, he mentioned a personal case as an example to explain how judo helped this person to rebuild his life.
Vizer went into the benefits of judo on and off the tatami: “It is the most educational sport, with the building of friendships, peace and social integration as the main benefits, as well as respect and discipline“. He also commented on the International Judo Federation and spoke of it as one of the most united, without discrimination by war, religion or culture. He also added the programmes they are promoting such as “Judo in schools” or “IJF Academy”, which offer comprehensive programmes for all ages.
Finally, Mario Vizer spoke about sport and how it unites people and serves as an engine that maintains and promotes the patriotic spirit: “Like when an athlete from our country stands on the podium and the anthem of our country begins to play”. To close his presentation, he ended with an inspiring phrase: “Let us continue to promote these values to empower the next generation of champions, both on and off the tatami”.
