Most European National judo federations programs are involved in the sport of judo for people with a disability. Among these countries is the Netherlands, the host country of the International judo4all2008 cham-pionship for disabled people. For the second time organised over 4 days within the event a international coaches meeting.

Two days more than the 2003 edition of this event

The “Judo4all” movement have proved that this kind events on a yearly

base got a solid structure for years.

It started in Sweden (Stockholm 1998), Belgium (Gent 1999 with a special symposium), Wales (Cardiff 2000), Germany (Osnabrück 2001) England

(Clacton on sea 2002) the Netherlands (Beverwijk 2003) Slovenia (Koper 2004) Sweden (Stockholm 2005) Italia (Ravenna 2006) Finland (Pajulathi 2007) and the Netherlands (Beverwijk 2008)

In 1998 we started with 40 competitors, with a progression of 350-550 competitors the last five years. In that matter judo-training and competition in a variety of European judo-events for all people with Special Needs, give opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage let them experience in skills and trough judo making friends for live.

More countries are interested in up-grade rheir National competition, this year we made enormous progress in the contacts with France.

Their competition is National focused and organized by the INAS-FID and has developed a solid and reliable judo programme whitch involve education, competition, grading, etc.

Historically the Sports Unions for the Disabled were always strongly involved in the competition for the disabled. We will certainly not deny that the sports union for the disabled has the expertise of the treatment and needs for the disabled. However there is still a big discussion about the decision of the IPC to exclude all intellectual disabled athletes from paralympic

events, till Londen in 2012. The IPC started this policy in Barcelona and is powerful enough to exclude the biggest group of athletes with a disability for years.

The bottle-neck in organizing an European Championship for the elite Special  Needs judokas lies not in the fact that the athletes can’t cope with it.

But untill now the organizations were not ready for this.

Fact is, in Italy, the Paralympic Committee in France, the INAS/FID, in Germany the DSB (Behinderten Sport Bund) were all organizing National events with their own regulations.

In Italy intellectual disabled were doomed to judo demonstrations, while in France, judo for this pear group is almost fully main stream judo. No adjustments are made for sutemi-waza and shime-waza.

They are allowed in the rules, clearly a big difference between opinion,

philosophy and treatment of the judokas.

Still I have seen the Italian ID-elite-judokas in the France INAS-FID

competition where they fit in perfectly.

To come to a real European championship for the disabled  on the elite level. I recommend one organization that will be resonsible for judo in general and especially for the special needs events in Europe.

In my opinion it's only logical that the European judo union accepted this responsibility this organisation is the expert in judo. And it doesn’t matter whether it is for top judo, children, veterans, recreation judo or judo for the disabled. In my opinion this is their responsibility.

Besides of this European judo union has far more power than the Inas-Fid which is a worldwide organisation of 60 members. Inas-Fid is in my point of view a small organisation with one sportdirector judo.

Organizations for the disabled should put their knowledge in co-operation with main stream sport federations and use their network for education, stimulation, development and expertise in supporting special needs judokas in stead of organize the sport itself.

With the Dutch approach, we have proved the last 10 years that the organizations for the disabled perfectly can work on different goals for the benefit of the disabled.

Furthermore by laying the responsibility for sport by the EJU trough the National Judo Federations, the success of integration in society increases substantial.

The EJU can present a program for the disabled developed over several years, the possibilities of founding projects will increase. Equal opportunities and partnership between the EJU and the sports organizations for the disabled shall be the results of this policy and in the benefit of the disabled athletes.

 

Amsterdam June 2008

Ben vd Eng

Co-ordinator Special Needs Judo  EJU

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