Ambassador of Japan to Turkmenistan Yamamoto Hiroyuki met with the head of the Judo Federation of Turkmenistan Velmurad Gurbanmyradov, as well as the head coach of the national judo team Kazuhiko Tokuno.
During the meeting, Hiroyuki presented the Federation with a certificate of honor from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan for the development and popularization of judo in Turkmenistan, the Embassy of Japan reports on its social network account.
It is worth noting that the certificate of honor was awarded to the Judo Federation of Turkmenistan back in 2020, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the award ceremony was postponed.
Ambassador Yamamoto Hiroyuki expressed hope for further success of Turkmen judokas in international competitions, especially at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. He wished good luck to Kazuhiko Tokuno, who arrived in Ashgabat this spring and will train the Turkmenistan national judo team for two years.
Judo is one of the most popular sports in Japan, the birthplace of this martial art. Japan supports the development of judo around the world through cooperation and cultural exchange programs.