African Judo Union (AJU) has awarded the 2020 African Judo Championships to Madagascar.
Scheduled for December 17 to 20, the AJU made the decision on the 41st edition of the event after a Steering Committee meeting.
However, the African Championships for cadets and juniors, as well as kata events, have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
read also:Judo master, 97, puts ‘spirit’ above medals at Olympics
“These following decisions have been taken to ensure the health and security of our athletes in these difficult times,” said the AJU in a statement.
In a video conference, AJU President Habib Sissoko stated that the health of the athletes was the most important thing.
He added that he is taking note of the second wave of COVID-19 in Europe, which has impacted many events on the continent.
Sissoko said that hosting the Championships was important due to the event contributing towards qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which have been postponed to next year because of the virus.
Gold medallists will be awarded 700 qualifying points at the African Championships.
The President of the Malagasy Judo Federation, Siteny Randrianasolo-Niaiko, who is also the chairman of the AJU, affirmed that the hosts will ensure the Championships are safe for athletes under COVID-19 protocols.
The African Judo Championships are scheduled to take place in Madagascar’s capital Antananarivo.