Ezio Gamba resigns from EJU: I cannot accept that the world of judo is divided

Ezio Gamba resigns as Secretary General of the EJU, the European Judo Union. The 63-year-old, Olympic gold medalist in Moscow 1980 and silver in Los Angeles 1984, has been the coordinator and coach of the Russian men’s national team since 2009, a country that awarded him the award of best coach of the Olympic year in 2012, as well as citizenship. Gamba is succeeded as General Secretary by Austrian Judo President Martin Poiger.

The 1980 Moscow Olympian has been coach of the Russian men’s national team since 2009. The decision after the tensions within the European Union of Judo: “But my body, my mind and my heart will always remain at the disposal of world judo”

In the midst of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, tensions also made themselves felt within the European federation, up to the bitter decision: “I cannot accept to remain immobile in the face of the current tragic events – declared Gamba-. I cannot continue to behave as if nothing is happening, but at the same time I cannot accept that the world of judo can be divided.“ His office had been renewed just recently, on the occasion of the Ordinary Congress at the beginning of December in Istanbul.

A step taken by Ezio Gamba, who finds reasons in his being a sportsman, clear, direct and transparent. He who has always believed in sharing, cultivating it successfully: “I have never thought of a divided world of judo and if there is nothing else I can do at the moment, I do the right thing I feel. My body, my mind and my heart will always remain at the disposal of the world of judo .” The man from Brescia, has given a lot to Italian judo as an athlete, winning, in addition to the two Olympic medals, also two world silver medals in 1979 and 1983, and a European gold in 1982. As a technician he led the Italian senior national team from 1997 to 2004 and , after a two-year project to spread judo in Africa with which he contributed to the silver of Amar Benikhlef in the 90kg in Beijing 2008, he was called to lead the men’s team of Russia, fresh from the flop at the Chinese Olympics. In London 2012, with seven athletes, Ezio Gamba’s Russia won 5 medals, three of which gold. For this reason, Russia awarded him the award of best coach of the Olympic year and, four years later, Russian citizenship at the hands of Vladimir Putin himself.

The resignation of Ezio Gamba follows that of the Russian Sergey Soloveychik as president of the European Union Judo (a position he held since 2007), who on February 27, in an extraordinary online meeting.