Photography by Anna Spindelenderer
Adaptive judo is on the rise again in Europe thanks to the European Union-funded Judo Intellectual Disability Project (JIDP). This initiative aims to promote the social and cultural inclusion of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) through judo in six countries: Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland.
As part of this endeavour, Special Olympics Europe Eurasia (SOEE) is collaborating with experts from the Ramon Lul Fundacio University, Judo Assist Ireland, Università degli Studi di Genova, Swiss Adaptive Judo, the Interdisciplinary Network for Special and Intercultural Education, the Sport Evolution Alliance and the Judo Organization Swiss. Real Federation of Judo and Deportes Asociados.
“Research has shown that participation in judo can have social and health benefits for people with disabilities, and this project aims to make adaptive judo more accessible to athletes by expanding the pool of coaches and experts educated on this topic,” said SOEE Sports Vice President Miroslav Krugolek.
“We are pleased to contribute to the promotion of judo for people with intellectual disabilities throughout Europe in cooperation with our project partners.”
The JIDP was launched earlier in 2024 at the first meeting of the alliance in Lisbon, Portugal. While the project is still in the early stages of its development, the project team has high hopes.
Chairman of Judo Assist Ireland, James Mulroy, added: “We aim to develop and expand adaptive judo practices to more clubs, regions and countries across Europe and beyond.
“To do this, we first need to develop and expand the number of adaptive judo coaches and volunteers who have a passion for adaptive sports and disability awareness.”
Judo has been a Special Olympics sport for more than 20 years, and today it is practiced in 31 European countries, but there is still a lot of work to be done.
According to Cecilia Evenblig, Judo Sports Advisor for Special Olympics Europe and Eurasia and Vice President of Swiss Judo, the JIDP is a promising starting point:
“I love this project because there is a lot of interest in adaptive judo in Europe, but we don’t always have the wherewithal to respond to it appropriately, nor the possibilities to travel.
“With the support of Erasmus+, we can now teach over 40 new Judo coaches through the Train the Trainer programme. We can now reach coaches in over 12 countries online and in in-person international workshops, directly on the same tatami. This is a fantastic development and an honour.” A great opportunity for me to share my knowledge and experience.”
Funded by the European Union. However, the views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for it.
