THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
September 20, 2020 at 16:35 JST
The Tokyo Grand Slam 2017 event was held at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Event organizers revealed on Sept. 19 that the International Judo Federation was moving toward canceling the Tokyo Grand Slam 2020 tournament scheduled for December amid concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.
The IJF executive committee was expected to make a formal decision soon.
According to sources, IJF President Marius Vizer talked by phone with Yasuhiro Yamashita, the president of the All Japan Judo Federation (AJJF), on Sept. 18. Concerns were raised that if a number of judoka became infected with COVID-19 during the Grand Slam event that could have a negative effect on whether to hold the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Japanese event organizers had been taking steps to prepare for the event, such as securing transportation so that participating athletes did not have to use public transportation to reach the venue.
Organizers had also been lobbying central government officials to make exceptions for foreign athletes arriving in Japan to take part in the event by relaxing entry restrictions and the self-quarantine period of two weeks upon arrival.
However, one event source said, “We could not say at the present time if the restrictions would be relaxed, and we concluded that we could not hold the event when we thought about the possibility that those restrictions would not be eased.”
The Grand Slam had initially been intended to determine the Japanese representative to the Tokyo Olympics in the men’s 66-kilogram category, the only one that is yet undecided. Two past world champions, Joshiro Maruyama and Hifumi Abe, are vying for the sole opening.
The AJJF plans to hold a separate event in around December to pick the representative.
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