Jan 24, 2018
Edmonton International Judo Championship
Dear Fellow Alberta Judoka,
In the time period between March 9th and 12th, 2018 the 13th edition of the Edmonton International Judo Championship and Judo Symposium is taking place in the centre of the largest indoor mall and entertainment centre in North America. The Edmonton Yudanshakai Judo Society, Judo Alberta, and Judo Canada would like to encourage athletes, coaches, referees, parents, and club administrators to come to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada to participate in this event.
It is our belief that our ALBERTA Judo tournament, which attracted 925 participants in 2017, will provide all athletes in attendance a tremendous opportunity to obtain a volume of valuable, high quality, national and international competition experience in an extremely safe environment. Our location and the associated infrastructure supporting Edmonton, ensures ease of access to the city, and the venue, while at the same time it limits travel costs and associated time zone issues that sometimes plague competitors interested in competing in large tournaments. For Canadian and American athletes, far and wide, there is an ease of travel to Edmonton. We would ask that you share this information with your many judo friends in other locations.
We believe that the tournament’s multi day format also facilitates travel time for all participants, no matter where they are from, and our mat system ensures an organized flow of events for every competitor. We are pleased to advise that as a result of the historic success of our tournament product offering we are already receiving multiple inquires from judoka from various countries interested in participating in this year’s Edmonton International.
Our venue is like no other judo tournament in the world, and our schedule also ensures that participants, coaches and families have the opportunity to partake in the special events aspects of the largest indoor shopping and entertainment center in North America, West Edmonton Mall. This facility with over 800 stores, 110 restaurants, the world’s largest indoor amusement park, world’s largest indoor water park, a casino, an entertainment centre, and much more, ensures that all members of your entourage will be entertained. For those not in attendance these past few years please visit www.westedmontonmall.com for more details of the ancillary benefits of the West Edmonton Mall venue.
From a judo perspective, we believe our location provides a unique opportunity for the display and understanding of our sport, as a result of the 100,000 + people per day walking around the enclosed but open air tournament site. Please review our website www.edmontonjudo.com for pictures of this very dynamic tournament environment.
The mid of March is a perfect time to participate in our judo event. The Tournament and associated workshops have proper judo activity for every taste and interest. You can come to Edmonton with your team, family or with your judo friends from all over, and feel that Judo is more than just sport. As stated, more than 925 athletes experienced that in 2017 and we expect that similar participation in 2018 from your fellow judoka who will be joining you this spring in Edmonton. For many it will be a meeting place of old friends, consolidated by a long friendship in judo.
The Edmonton International has become the largest full range tournament in Canada, reaching all categories of Judoka from children to Masters. This category A, Canadian National Team points tournament, in addition to providing an incredible array of competitors and outstanding judo, includes other important and remarkable activities, attractive to everybody who likes judo including:
- Friday Afternoon from 2 to 3:30 pm, a Judo camp for children U16 and down where the younger judokas will be introduced to the mysteries of judo. We encourage all instructors to join us on the mats for this. For 2018 our youth will not only participate in a massive tournament but will be have the opportunity of meeting and being instructed at this tournament specific Friday training event by USA Olympic silver medalist Travis Stevens who is bringing with him a large group of competitors to compete at this year’s Edmonton International. Travis understands the value of youth in our sport and has offered to be a guest instructor in this afternoon event. It will be a special time for the youth of our sport, and it is these moments that help cement desire and commitment into the young minds about our sport.
- With fresh rules for our sport now in place we have put together a top notch Referee Symposium with panel members fresh from the Pan American IJF referees clinic. This event will take place Friday evening in the conference room of one of our host hotel, the Executive Inn, to ensure all referees, coaches and fighters are fully aware of today’s judo rules.
- In conjunction with Judo Canada, we are providing Live internet broadcasting of every mat.
We have arranged hotel packages for participants and members of their travel teams which are included in the tournament package and on our website www.edmontonjudo.com, additional hotels will be coming online shortly so check back regularly to our website for further selection should the three in this present package be sold out. Additionally, any further information or tournament package revisions will be uploaded on our website as they become available. If you have any questions in the short term I would be pleased to respond by email.
Please mark your calendars, adjust your budgets, and plan to travel this March 9th. 10th and 11th 2018 to the Edmonton International Judo Championship, truly a unique and outstanding Judo tournament experience. We would ask that you share this information with your many judo friends in other locations.
Yours in Judo,
Mark K. Hicks
Tournament Director
Edmonton International Judo Championship
To view the tournament technical package please click here.
ON-LINE REGISTRATION & PAYMENT: http://bit.ly/2DoHDAs
Regular Registration closes February 25, 2018 at 23:59 MST
Late Registration closes March 3, 2018 at 23:59 MST; No registrations will be accepted after March 3, 2018.
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