Japan Embassy hands over Judo Centre in Alexandra

3 June 2022

On 30 May 2022, Mr Norio Maruyama, Ambassador of Japan to South Africa handed over the Judo for Hope Centre in Alexandra to Judo South Africa. The Japanese Government funded this project through the Grant Assistance for Cultural Grassroots Projects.

Judo South Africa, in partnership with the International Judo Federation, has organized Judo activities in Alexandra since 2018. These activities led to the establishment of a permanent Judo centre in Alexandra.

Having practiced Judo and having experienced its benefits, Maruyama said that the new centre offers judo classes for the whole community, including children, youth and women and also serves as a community centre, and will contribute to the health and development of the children and the youth and mould them into better citizens of their community, town, province, country and region, including the whole of Africa and the globe in its entirety.

He said that judo was a highly disciplined sport that possessed a powerful ingredient of moulding and nurturing the youth. It has the power to turn the youth into productive community members and to take them away from the social ills that afflicts communities and families.

During the ceremony, children who are taught Judo at the Centre demonstrated their skills to show what they had already learnt. A cherry blossom tree was planted by Mr Tefo Raphadu, the Ward Councillor, Mr Temba Hlasho, the President of Judo South Africa and Ambassador Maruyama to celebrate the relationship between Japan and South Africa.

This centre makes it possible for the community to learn and practice Judo, contributing to the health and development of the youth as well as the overall promotion of the community's health.

Embassy of Japan in South Africa and TDS