The success of the three international Judo tournaments ever hosted by Israel – most recently the Tel Aviv Grand Slam in February, which ended with zero infections at the height of the coronavirus pandemic and included Iranian judoka Saeid Mollaei's historic participation – has not gone unnoticed by the International Judo Federation.
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Just before the start of the Passover holiday, the Israel Judo Federation and Israeli athletics in general received a historic gift: The World Judo Championships for 2024 or 2025, depending on the Israel Judo Federation's choice, will be held in Tel Aviv.
The IJW was deliberating whether to host the prestigious event just prior the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris or wait one year so that the world's best judokas will be able to attend.
The event, regardless, will likely take place at Nokia Arena in Tel Aviv.
In 2023, the World Judo Championships will be hosted by Qatar. Hence, the International Judo Federation wanted the event to be held in Israel the following year to mark the two countries' cooperation, with athletes from both countries competing on each other's home turf.
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