Tbilisi Judo Grand Prix cancelled due to coronavirus risk
The Tbilisi contest is one of a number of cancelled competitions that had been in the IJF calendar through the end of April. Photo via International Judo Federation.
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Georgia's capital Tbilisi will not host the 2020 Judo Grand Prix between March 27-29 after the International Judo Federation cancelled the tournament due to a "heightened risk" of coronavirus.
The decision of the international body was announced on Tuesday, with more international competitions, initially planned for April, also cancelled.
The judo tournament had been set to see over 660 athletes from 89 countries travel to the city to compete at the Tbilisi Olympic Palace not only for grand prix medals but also for points for the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
All Olympic Qualification Events cancelled until End of Aprilhttps://t.co/lU739ULIcZ
— Int. Judo Federation (@Judo) March 9, 2020
The IJF said its executive committee had "taken the emergency decision to cancel with immediate effect all Olympic qualification Events on the IJF Calendar until April 30."
Beside the Tbilisi Grand Prix the list of cancelled judo events includes the Antalya Grand Prix and the Ekaterinburg Grand Slam.
The international body said in its announcement it aimed to ensure both safety of the "judo family", which it said was "of paramount importance", and fair chances for Olympic qualification for involved competitors.
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