Poreč Is Ready for the 8th Judo Festival

From June 10th to June 21st, 2023, the 8th edition of the Judo Festival will take place at Zelena Laguna in Poreč – Hotels, Resorts & Camping. The previous edition of the festival was a great success with over 1500 participants. The Judo Festival provides an excellent opportunity for family bonding, as each family member can choose activities that suit them best.

Throughout the week, there will be various programs tailored to individual needs and preferences. During the festival, there will also be an Olympic Training Center (OTC) where everyone can witness the training sessions of Olympic champions and meet them in person.

“For the eighth time, we are hosting the best male and female judokas from around the world, as well as scientists, coaches, referees, and the entire judo family. I am proud that Poreč and Croatia are hosting the Judo Festival, one of the most beautiful sporting events,” said Dr. Sanda Čorak, President of the Croatian Judo Federation.

The festival kicks off on June 11th and 12th with workshops for clubs organized by the Croatian Judo Federation. The aim of these workshops is to assist judo clubs in their development and provide them with concrete skills in areas they wish to learn about, such as pedagogy, psychology, social media management, injury prevention, and sports bandaging.

The highlight of the event is the Olympic Training Center (OTC) – “Going for Gold,” which returns to the Croatian coast. The popular OTC camp runs from June 12th to June 19th and attracts top athletes from around the world to train together and gain valuable randori experience. For many, Poreč is the pinnacle of their calendar as it combines intense training with an idyllic vacation destination. While one part of the Intersport hall hosts the OTC, the other part is dedicated to a training camp for cadets aged 18 and under. Bringing together a large number of teams is extremely beneficial for the development of young athletes, and at the same time, they have the opportunity to see their heroes and find motivation by sharing training space with the superstars of the IJF World Tour.

“In Poreč, we are welcoming over 1200 top-level judokas, such as our own Barbara Matić or Teddy Riner, the French judoka with 11 world titles, along with their families, scientists, coaches, referees, and delegates. Poreč is currently the center of the judo world, and we are extremely proud that the Croatian Judo Federation is organizing such a significant event. Croatia has become synonymous with top-level sports, and we are delighted that judo is part of it,” said Hrvoje Lindi, Vice President of the European Judo Union and Secretary-General of the Croatian Judo Federation.

On June 19th and 20th, the Scientific and Professional Conference on “Applied Research in Judo” will take place. The conference aims to bring together judo experts from all fields (scientific and professional). Any judo coach, expert, or researcher involved in judo can propose a contribution for consideration.

Of course, there is also a program for children and families, which runs from June 17th to June 21st. The Judo Festival provides a fantastic opportunity to spend five days of judo activities with your family. In addition to judo training for children and parents, various workshops suitable for different age groups will be available. Training sessions with Olympians, creative workshops, educational workshops, and STEM workshops will be part of the children’s and family camp.

Our motto is “Judo more than sport” (“Judo više od sporta“) and we prove that judo is truly for everyone. From June 18th to 20th, there will be an adapted judo training camp for people with disabilities. The adapted judo camp will bring together judokas with different types of disabilities. Alongside judo training tailored to each participant, there are plans for performance workshops for coaches and additional activities for judokas with disabilities.

The partners of the Judo Festival are HEP, Plava laguna, Last minute rent a car, the Tourist Board of the City of Poreč, the City of Poreč-Parenzo, and the European Judo Union. You can experience why “Judo is more than sport” at Zelena Laguna, as the training sessions and activities are open to the public.