Rio de Janeiro will become the world judo capital on 4 and 5 July, when Maracanãzinho Arena hosts the Brazilian leg of the Grand Slam, the sport’s foremost international event. In addition to Brazil, three other countries will host the event: France, Japan and Russia. The Maracanãzinho is one of the venues in the city’s plans to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The official announcement of the choice of Rio de Janeiro for the Grand Slam took place today at Palácio Guanabara. The event was attended by state governor, Sérgio Cabral; Rio 2016 president, Carlos Arthur Nuzman; state tourism, sport and leisure secretary, Márcia Lins; acting president of the Brazilian Judo Confederation, João Rocha (representing President Paulo Wanderley Teixeira); and Olympians Tiago Camilo, Leandro Guilheiro and Flávio Canto.

Dressed in a kimono and black belt, Governor Sérgio Cabral got into the spirit of the event. “Brazilian judo is a source of pride for all of us. The choice of Rio de Janeiro as a Grand Slam city is recognition of all the effort that Brazil has made in sport and in the Rio 2007 Pan American Games. Furthermore, it is a fillip for South America, which has never held the Olympic Games,” said Cabral, who formally announced a R$2.5 million investment to stage the event.

At the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, Brazilian judo gained three bronze medals. In all, the sport has taken Brazil onto the Olympic podium 15 times. “This Grand Slam will put Brazilian judo center stage, which may lead to even better results. And all this has contributed towards the Rio 2016 bid. Three months before the IOC chooses the host city of the 2016 Games in October, the eyes of the sports world will be on Rio de Janeiro,” said Nuzman.

According to the Brazilian Judo Confederation, around 2.5 million people practice judo in Brazil. For Flávio Canto, holding the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro would further boost the sport. “Being one of the select host cities of the Grand Slam proves that the world has recognized we can hold important competitions like the Olympic Games. The Grand Slam will allow cariocas to get more involved in judo and to prepare for 2016. Rio produces many athletes and certainly a lot of them will be able to represent Brazil in 2016,” said Canto.