‘Ready for joint work.’ Belarus’ NOC chief meets with IJF head in Baku

President of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Belarus Viktor Lukashenko held a working meeting in Baku with Head of the International Judo Federation (IJF) Marius Vizer.

The head of Belarus’ NOC expressed gratitude to Marius Vizer for his support of Belarusian judo and his principled stance regarding our athletes. Viktor Lukashenko stressed that the IJF was the first Olympic federation to announce, in May 2025, that Belarusians would take part in international competitions under national symbols.

“We greatly value the open dialogue with the European and world leadership of judo and are grateful for their positive and constructive attitude towards the Belarusian federation and its leadership. We count on further strengthening of these relations. We are always ready for concrete joint work,” the NOC head said.

At the meeting, the sides discussed the possibility of organizing international judo competitions in Belarus. The NOC stressed that Belarus has quality sports infrastructure, extensive experience and human resources to host events at the highest level.

In addition, the Belarusian representatives expressed readiness to expand their participation in training camps, seminars and programs, and in the work of IJF commissions and expert groups. The parties noted their interest in joint educational projects for coaches, referees and specialists.

Earlier, during his visit to Baku, the president of the NOC of Belarus met with President of the European Judo Union (EJU) Laszlo Toth. Viktor Lukashenko also has meetings planned with Azerbaijani sports officials.