Panamerica Judo Confederation2009.04.09

International Judo Federation

A new union, a new bond

Recently, an important event occurred in the evolution of the International Judo Federation. After a longer period of widespread discontent and due to the inability of the Pan-American Judo Union (PJU) to find solutions to long standing and persistent problems, several national federations of the American continent decided to form a new organization, that would better represent them and their interests, at a continental and at a world level.

The countries interested in improving the representation of judo in Pan-America within a framework of a new organization agreed on the importance of offering to all an open and transparent method of involvement in achieving this goal. It was on this basis that they organized a congress in Mexico, under the supervision of the Mexican National Olympic Committee, where all Pan-American federations were invited to participate, in order to discuss the merits of establishing a new organization. The only requirement for participation in this Congress was a letter from the National Olympic Committee of each participating country that confirmed recognition and support of the NOC for the judo federation represented in the Congress. 21 countries were present and, after due discussion, the Pan-American Judo Confederation (PJC) was established. The Statutes of the Confederation were drawn up and agreed, the Board of Directors was elected, and Mr. Paulo Wanderley, president of the Brazilian Judo Federation, was elected as President of the PJC.

Consequently, the current situation is as follows: 21 national federations of the American continent belong to the newly founded PJC, while the remaining 21 national federations have either made no statement or remain affiliated to the PJU. It is noteworthy that among the 21 federations of the PJC are those nations with the greatest number of active participants in judo in the Americas, as well as those nations who in the history of judo have brought competition success to the continent of Pan-America by winning the vast majority of all medals and titles at continental and international level.

The Pan-American Judo Confederation recently sought recognition from the International Judo Federation. However, it is impossible for a continent to be represented by more than one continental union, and it was decided the IJF would grant both organizations the opportunity to submit detailed documentation concerning their relative merits. After receiving all documents from both parties, these were mailed to the members of the IJF Executive Committee for careful analysis. Following their study of the case, the Executive Committee was asked to vote in order to decide which organization should represent the Pan-American continent. Of the 20 EC members, 1 voted for the Pan-American Judo Union, 1 abstention, and 18 voted in favor of the Pan-American Judo Confederation with Mr. Paulo Wanderley as President, there being one abstention and two invalid votes. Thus, the decision of the IJF Executive Committee of the International Judo Federation was to grant recognition to the Pan-American Judo Confederation.

Although the IJF Statutes provides the Executive Committee with the legal power to decide on the above question, it was agreed that this particular decision should be submitted for ratification to the IJF Congress to be held in Rotterdam, August 23, 2009. Until then, the official representative of the Pan-American continent in all IJF activities is the Pan-American Judo Confederation, together with its President, Mr. Paulo Wanderley and its Directing Committee.

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