Over 500 Athletes from 30 Countries Expected for Exciting Dual Program

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Montréal, November 2nd, 2022 – Judo Canada is proud and excited to announce that Calgary has been selected to host the Pan-American/Oceania Championships in September 2023. For the first time ever on Canadian soil, top-ranked athletes from the Americas and from Oceania will compete in the senior, cadet and junior divisions.

This will mark the first time since 2015 that the Championships are held in Canada. That year, they were hosted by Edmonton. The tournament was due to be held in Montréal in 2020, but was relocated to Mexico due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Needless to say, the Judo Canada team is thrilled by the news, as its members have been eagerly looking forward to hosting an international tournament once again.

This will mark the first time since 2015 that the Championships are held in Canada. That year, they were hosted by Edmonton. The tournament was due to be held in Montréal in 2020, but was relocated to Mexico due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Needless to say, the Judo Canada team is thrilled by the news, as its members have been eagerly looking forward to hosting an international tournament once again.

“As we demonstrated in 2019 with the Montréal Grand Prix, organizing and hosting major events in Canada remains part of our strategic plan, both for our athletes and for the development of our sport. We had secured the right to hold the Pan-American Championships in Montréal in April 2020, but we all know what happened next. However, we stayed the course and we’re proud to take on this next project,” stated Nicolas Gill, Chief Executive Officer and High Performance Director of Judo Canada.

“It is a great pleasure to be able to welcome the participants to the City of Calgary for the 2023 edition of the Pan Am/Oceania Judo Championship for Cadet, Junior and Senior competitors. I am certain that we are able to offer a wonderful and enjoyable experience for all of the athletes, coaches, officials, delegates and volunteers. The Calgary Judo community has extensive experience in hosting national and international Judo events,” said Allan Sattin, president of the local organizing committee.

The program of the long-awaited event, which will be held in three distinct stages, promises to be action-packed. From September 8-10, the cadet and junior level judokas will get the ball rolling with the individual and team events. This will be followed by a three-day international training camp.

The senior athletes will then hit the tatamis from September 14-17, hoping to earn maximum points toward the 2024 Paris Olympics qualification process.

“There will be not one, but two events to cater to the different age groups. In addition, Oceania, which has been part of our structure since the beginning of 2022, will also participate,” added Gill. “It will be a boom for the local tourism industry and will provide tremendous economic benefits to the host city and the province!”

“We are thrilled that Calgary has been named the host city for the 2023 Pan-American/Oceania Championships,” said Carson Ackroyd, Senior Vice President of Sales with Tourism Calgary. “We look forward to welcoming this unique event to our city and showcasing Calgary’s world-class accommodations, restaurants, attractions, visitor experiences and hosting infrastructure to the hundreds of visiting athletes, coaches, support staff and Judo fans from across the Americas.”

The stage is set for an unforgettable two weeks, where Canadian judokas will outdo themselves in an effort to reach the podium in front of the home country crowd!

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Written by Sportcom for Judo Canada

For more information:
Patrick Esparbès
Chief Operating Officer
Judo Canada
(514) 668-6279
p.esparbes@judocanada.org