According to a report by Xinhua News Agency and the Chinese Judo Association on November 10, 2023:
The International Judo Federation, the Weightlifting, Wrestling, and Judo Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, and the Chinese Judo Association jointly organised the IJF Asian Region Refereeing and Coaching Seminar, which was held from November 8th to 10th in Shanghai and hosted by the School of Competitive Sports at Shanghai University of Sport. More than 180 referees and coaches from nine countries and regions including China, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia participated in the seminar.
The opening ceremony of the seminar was chaired by Yang Yang, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Judo Association. Mao Lijuan, President of Shanghai University of Sport, stated that the seminar, with lecturers appointed by the International Judo Federation Refereeing Commission, provided a professional platform for participants to exchange knowledge and helped referees and coaches enhance their accurate understanding and practical application of international rules through video case analysis and on-site practice. She described it as a valuable learning and communication opportunity.
Juan Barcos, Coordinator of the IJF Referee Seminar and former IJF Chief Referee, highly praised the meticulous organisation and warm hospitality of the seminar. He hoped that through the three-day seminar, more information could be conveyed to assist coaches and referees in deepening their understanding of international rules.
Liu Chengliang, Director of the Weightlifting, Wrestling, and Judo Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China and Chairman of the Chinese Judo Association, stated that in recent years, as the new rules of the IJF have been implemented, the competitive level of Chinese judo has declined, creating a contrast with the flourishing development of world judo. One of the important reasons for the slow improvement in the competitive level of judo is the lack of coaches and referees who have the ability to continuously learn and actively understand the latest information on international judo. This international judo seminar is an important measure for the reform of judo, focusing on the development and revitalisation of judo in China, providing valuable learning opportunities for domestic coaches and referees, and keeping up with the trends of international judo development.
He said that since the beginning of this year, the Weightlifting, Wrestling, and Judo Sports Management Center and the Chinese Judo Association have made some explorations in innovating the judo competition system. In the future, they will also implement a system for on-site coaching guidance for coaches and establish a scoring evaluation system for referees. With the support of domestic competition system reform, they will promote the alignment of the domestic competition environment with international standards as soon as possible, cultivate and select excellent coaches and referees with higher standards and requirements, and contribute to the revitalisation of judo in China.
