PRESS RELEASE - PRESS RELEASE - PRESS RELEASE - PRESS RELEASE

2008 SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE PANAMERICAN JUDO UNION

The whole year that ends was one of constant activity for the Panamerican Judo; a year that ended the Olympic qualification, a year of new Panamerican Championships, events in the Panamerican Circuit (a true Panamerican tradition), a year of sadness with the loss of our friend and a man of Judo Lic. Frank Fullerton, as well as the political events that, sadly, was lead by some managers with the purpose to give a Coup D’ Etat to the institution of the Panamerican judo within other important activities.

Olympic Qualification:

Highlighted as the most important events are the ones involving the Olympic Qualifiers that were staged in Isla Margarita, Venezuela on March 29^th; Buenos Aires, Argentina on April 9^th and Miami, United States on May 11^th. On this latter date the Panamerican Judo Senior Championships were held and a very important part of this Olympic Qualifier.

The excellence of this Olympic Qualification allowed Pan America to achieve the most number of athletes in the XXIX Olympiad held in Beijing from the 8^th to the 21^st of August, 2008; represented, as well, with 16 countries: Canada, United States, Mexico, El Salvador, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Aruba, Dominican Republic, Haiti y Cuba.

The results of this Olympic participation was three (3) Silver and eight (8) Bronze; which, even though the refereeing (according to coaches and delegates) did not favor the American athletes, we obtained the best results in these World events occupying the third place in the general medals list.

The winners of the Silver medals were the Cubans Yannet Bermoy, Anaysi Hernández and Yalennis Castillo who fought in the 48, 70 y 78 kilograms, respectively. The Panamerican Bronze medals  were in the hands of Paula Pareto from Argentina, Ketleyn Quadros from Brazil, Ronda Rousey from the United States and Idalys Ortiz from Cuba, competing in the 48, 57, 70 y more than 78 kilograms, respectively.

The men in Pan America with four Bronze medals for Yordanis Arencibia from Cuba, Leandro Guilheiro from Brazil, Camilo Tiago from Brazil y Oscar Brayson from Cuba, who fought in the 66, 73, 81 y more than 100 kilograms, respectively.

Other distinguished athletes obtained important fifth and seventh places that were worth the Olympic Diploma.

Panamerican Championships:  

These contests, the best of the continental Judo (infantile, juvenile, seniors and masters) were held in Santo Domingo, Buenos Aires, Miami and Santo Domingo, respectively.

The VIII Panamerican Infantile Judo Championships, male and female, was staged during December 5th and 6th in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Even with the boycott made by various countries staging a parallel event in Mexico City with the approval of different international entities, our Championship was one of excellent competitive quality and, we have to highlight the special awards of Ippon Trophy, Best Judoka, Fair Play, Infantile Painting Contest with the Judo theme and the staging of the III Caribbean Judo Championship.

In this event, a Training Course was given on the Formation Procedures in Judo, with emphasis in the different stages of Infantile Judo under Professor Wilfredo Duardo Rodriguez; who complemented the excellent activities of this traditional Panamerican Infantile Judo Championship which started its staging in the year 2001.

Another training activity for the Panamerican judo leaders was held during the Olympic Qualifier Event Zone II staged in Isla Margarita, Venezuela with a Seminar for Leaders and this activity had the support of the Venezuelan Judo Federation and the Venezuelan Olympic Committee.

The Panamerican Juvenile and Junior Championships were staged in Buenos Aires where the best competitors met between the ages of 15 and 19 (male and female) from the 10^th to the 12^th of April. In this occasion, on April 9^th, the Olympic Qualifier Event Zone III was held.

The Senior Championships were held in Miami, Florida between the 8^th and 10^th of May and the same served as an Olympic Qualifier for Zone I as well, on May 11^th.

This year and in conjunction with the Pan American Judo Master Association (PAJMA), the Pan American Judo Union and with the organization of the Dominican Judo Federation presided by Doctor Alquímedes Ortiz Cruz, staged in Santo Domingo during November 21^st and 23^rd the VI Panamerican Masters Championships (Male and Female) with the participation of an elevated number of countries and athletes that delighted the participants during the three days of competition.

The praises and recognitions by the participants to the organization of the Masters event we immediate, coming from various Panamerican countries.

Panamerican Circuit:

These are already a tradition in the anual competition of athletes and countries the organize the. Highlighted, the XV Panamerican Senior Circuit had stops in cuba with the Jose Ramon Rodriguez and Judoguis Dorados, both events from the 23rd to 25th of April; in San Salvador, El Salvador the II International Cups Juan Carlos Vargas and Yadira Ramos Vigil on the 7^th and 8^th of June and finally the International Cup Fedojudo and the Central American and Caribbean Championship on the 12 and 13^th of June.

On the other hand, the XII International Infantile, Juvenile and Junior Circuit was held in Miami, Florida from the 18^th to the 20^th of June; in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic the International Infantile and Juvenile Cup on the 2^nd and 3^rd of August and the Simon Bolivar Cup held in Isla Margarita, Venezuela from the 7^th to the 10^th of August.

We have to mention the excellent work that the Caribbean Judo Confederation, chaired by engineer Ernst Laraque, since it has used the staging of these Panamerican Circuits to hold its events.

V Judo Hall of Fame in Pan America

During the staging of the Panamerican Senior Championship in Miami, Florida and specifically, on May 9^th we had the exaltation to the Judo Hall of Fame in Pan America; whereas Luis Martinez, Manolo Poulot, Mike Swain, Odalis Reve, Reynaldo Forti, Alberto Sujo, Andre Kolychkine y Joon Chi were immortalized .

We will like to highlight the opposition of USA Judo to the exaltation of Mister Joon Chi, which had to be postponed until October 17^th during the Ordinary Congress of the Panamerican Judo Union held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic with a fair recognition to this meritorious Panamerican judo worker, especially in the refereeing area.

Mr. Mark Swain, World Class medalist, admired the competition and felt very pleased with the work of the Executive Committee of the Pan-American Judo Union. 

Meetings of the Executive Committee

The Executive Committee held different meetings in order to coordinate actions on behalf of the Pan-American Judo Union according to the needs at the moment, taking place in different places:

January 19 and 20                       Santo Domingo                     Dominican Republic
May 11                                         Miami, Florida                       United States
July 19                                         Fort Lauderdale                    United States
October 16                                   Santo Domingo                     Dominican Republic

During this period, on June 25^th, we had faced the sadly death of Lic. Frank Fullerton, leaving the PJU Sport Commission chairless, replaced immediately by professor Manuel Violenus.

Also, accountant Oscar Cassineri resigned to the position of General Secretary of the Panamerican Judo Union and in his place Mr. Serge Piquette was appointed,  who evolved as President of the National Judo Federation of Canada. 

Ordinary Congress:

As it has been a tradition in the institutional life of the Pan-American Judo Union and according to its actual statutes, every two years the Ordinary Congress takes place with a previously established agenda defined by the statutes.   

This year, as established, said Congress had elections for the positions of President Refereeing and Sport Director. The elections for the positions of Secretary and Treasurer will be made in an intermediate proportion of two years.

During the aforementioned the reports of the President, Secretary, Treasurer, Technical Directors and the different commissions were given.

It is important to stand out the representation of 21 out of the 42 countries that compose the Pan-American Judo Union, even though only 36 of them were qualified to exert the right representation of voice and vote.

After the approval of the given reports and corresponding activities made by the Executive Committee of the Pan-American Judo Union from November 28, 2006 to October 17, 2008, the elections  of the President and the Technical Directors of Refereeing and Sport were held, corresponding the elected positions to Jaime Casanova Martínez (Dominican Republic), Carlos Díaz (Venezuela) and Manuel Violenus (Puerto Rico); respectively.

Political Activity:

During the month of February a campaign against the institutionalization of the Pan-American judo aroused, when Paulo Wanderley began sending flight tickets to the countries of his convenience along with the International Judo Federation, who paid for board and lodging in five star hotels with the purpose of holding a Coup d’état to the Board of Directors of the Pan-American Judo Union, action stopped in time because of the complaints made by this Executive Committee. Nevertheless, the hostilities would not stop there, because the attack of the International Judo Federation against the Pan-American Union was seriously overwhelming throughout 2008. Thus,  having to undergo several attempts of Coup d’état, the suspension of refereeing examinations, the exclusion of the technical directors in refereeing and sport, Mr. Carlos Díaz and Mr. Manuel Violenus from the technical events of the International Judo Federation like the World and Olympic Games. The same happened with the Director of Education, Mr. Serge Piquette.

These interventions were far beyond not recognizing us as an organization when they sent people to the Pan-American events representing the International Judo Federation, whom with threatening attitudes tried to create divisions and discrepancies between a small group of countries.

The International Federation supported these hostile actions of the National Federations from Brazil, Uruguay, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico and Puerto Rico, among others.

A luminous point in this fight for maintaining the institutionalization of the Pan-American Judo Union took place on October 13^th when the CAS/TAS, ruled in favor of the National Federations of Panama and Venezuela. Therefore, recognizing Miguel Vanegas as legitimate president and representative of Judo in Panama, and legitimizing the suspension made by the PJU Executive Committee against Jorge Armada, ex-president of the Puerto Rico Judo Federation. 

The scene of this fight was transferred to the forum of the Pan-American Sport Organization (PASO) and the Association of Pan-American Sport Confederations (APASOC) to encourage in several settings the non recognition of the present Executive Committee of the Pan-American Judo Union in order to restrict the delivery of funds by concept of finances from the XV Pan-American Games, Rio de Janeiro 2007; television rights of the XXV World Masters Championship, Rio de Janeiro 2007 and the dividends of the XXIX Olympic Games, Beijing 2008. Paraphrasing what Alejandro Blanco, President of the Spanish Olympic Committee, said of not giving us, according to his own words, “Not a freaking cent” in order to economically asphyxiate the PJU and pressure us to resign from our present positions, this they will not obtain. Thus incurring in actions of boycotts and the most persistent efforts intended to give a Coup d’état in such a way so they will have a submissive Pan-American Judo Union before economic powers without personality, that simply raises the hand to approve what damages itself, an enslaved and subjugated Pan-American Judo Union.

In spite of our opposition, the International Judo Federation approved new statutes during the Extraordinary Congress in Bangkok, Thailand on October 2^st. Among other measures against small countries in territory and of recurrent economic problems, disperse throughout  the world of judo the cancellation of the Olympic classification, the double repechage competition system, the coaches within the competition area, the restrictions so that poor countries can belong to this world-wide organization, placing the necessity of the recognition from the National Olympic Committees and a determined amount of practitioners of this oriental art, the staging of Ordinary Congresses of the Continental Unions 180 days ahead of its fulfillment, introduction of the very opportune, finger appointed decision to designate the members of the Executive Committee of the world-wide organization, all among other extremely negative and undemocratic situations to most of the countries that are part of the so-called world-wide organization of the judo.

We are convinced that those who approved with their vote all these points simply gave their back to the judokas of their countries, to those children, young people and adults who day after day prepare themselves on the tatami in order to participate in international events, with the purpose of attending Olympic Games and that soon will have to question their leaders why they supported the approval of a qualifying system created for those who can attend the events of world-wide ranking, or that apparently was not hefted by anybody or that perhaps did not interest them, if it is so they managed to realize.

Towards the 2009:

The future does not seem to be flattering if we consider the aforementioned and an acute world-wide economic crisis affects all in equal or greater measurement.

With the need to prioritize the federative expenses towards championships and world-wide events, we must be able to optimize the resources of flight tickets and lodging of the delegations.

A necessary adjustment with the International Judo Federation before the continuous thrusts that infers agasinst our institution must be one of the main objectives of the year 2009; showing the negotiating capacity of the Executive Committee in various situations.

If that agreement or adjustment cannot be obtained, we will have to direct our efforts, like Pan-Americans, to subsist with bravery and decision the refusal of institutionalization to the Pan-American Judo Union in the same way the forefathers of Panamericanism did.

We wish great success to all and each one of the components of the National Federations of Judo during this new 2009. 

COMISIÓN DE MEDIOS

Si tiene alguna pregunta o comentario, por favor envíe su e-mail 
TODO EL CONTENIDO ES COPYRIGHT© UNIÓN PANAMERICANA DE JUDO 1998