Carlos Zegarra, Peruvian Olympic judoka, president of the Pan American Judo Confederation (CPJ) and Vice President of the World Federation (IJF), transcends marking history in this sport worldwide as an international leader. The progress of this sport on the continent was seen at the 2022 Juvenile Judo World Championship in Guayaquil.
"I feel very happy and at the same time I feel the great responsibility that we have to develop judo in the Pan American continent in all its aspects. I am proud because we organize a great event, taking into consideration our culture. This beautifully organized competition in Ecuador will serve as a reference for other countries. The idea is simple: when you want, you can," he said.
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Zegarra highlighted the importance of sport and judo in society. "I want our athletes to be proud of who they are and their culture. The magic of judo is that it is a place to share and bring together people from all over the world. I think we managed to do that in Guayaquil. On the tatami, we can demonstrate our abilities, while respecting others," says 'Chiquito'.
"Shortly before this world championships, I was in Cuba, the United States and of course, in Peru. As soon as I could, I jumped on the tatami (place where judo is practiced). A judo session with children and young people is a good thermometer. In my opinion, there are two paths in judo, although in the end they both merge. The first is high-level sport, where a small number of judokas are directly involved. They are the 'elite'. The other direction is the social approach," says the medalist in the Pan American Judo Games.
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"Judo is becoming a universal culture. It is also a way of life. That is why I always want to visit judo clubs when I travel around the world. I always ask the same question I ask myself: do you want to become a champion? What are you doing for your family? Then I explain that becoming a high-level competitor is one thing, but it is also possible to be a coach, referee, manager or fan, even a leader, like me," he added.
The coming years will be crucial for Pan American judo, "we have begun to implement a real high-level policy in all countries, with grassroots sports that are inclusive and of quality. The Olympic Games in Paris 2024 are tomorrow, and just around the corner we have Los Angeles 2028. Six years are not too many to implement a real, results-oriented strategy."
"In Latin America, more than anywhere else, it is very easy to cross red lines and find oneself involved in crime, drug addiction, and other bad habits. Judo showed me the right path. It is not an easy path, but it is possible. This is the power of our sport. We must promote our values by example. So, as the president of the continent, when I visit a country, I always want to meet with authorities at all levels of government and non-governmental organizations, to discuss our sport and our plans."