28 OCTOBER 2022
Judo Australia has been successful in securing funding through the Federal Governments’ Australia – Japan Foundation grants program to support coach development in both countries.
The $50,000 grant, over three years, will build links between judo clubs, coaches and athletes in Australia and Japan, and develop a pipeline of coaches to grow the sport and create public awareness of the strong bilateral relationship.
The Australia – Japan Judo Exchange (AJJE) will focus on targeting regional judo clubs where international exposure is minimal. The AJJE will facilitate a series of reciprocal cultural and immersion initiatives for aspiring judo coaches in both countries. This will build the capacity of coaches in both countries and foster partnerships between clubs. Participants will gain a deeper awareness of each other’s culture through an immersion experience and build deep people-to-people ties.
By creating formal sister-club partnerships to allow further exchanges between coaches, athletes and the wider-judo community, judo will be used as a vehicle to encourage deeper cross-cultural skills and build people-to-people links and institutional ties that will endure beyond the tenure of the project.
‘Judo Australia would like to thank the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for their support to building these relationships and developing our judo coaches in Australia. This opportunity will make a difference in our community and we will work to create stronger exchange opportunities beyond the three years of the funded program’ said Judo Australia Chief Executive Officer, Emma Taylor.
‘In the first year of the program, we will bring Japanese coaches to Australia to immerse themselves in our programs and visit regional clubs. In a reciprocal arrangement, we will take Australian Coaches to Japan in the following year.’
Judo Australia will shortly release information on how to be involved in our AJJE program.
Media Contact: Charles Hall chall@ausjudo.com.au