Inner Mongolia to host 2019 Judo Grand Prix

HOHHOT -- A grand prix of the International Judo Federation (IJF) is scheduled on May 24 to 26 in Hohhot, capital of North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, organizers said on Friday.

The event will serve as a qualification tournament for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

About 400 judokas from more than 40 countries and regions will participate in the event and a total of 56 Chinese judokas will compete, organizers said.

"The Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualification phase started in Hohhot in 2018 and a year on, the competition will reach a new level as we close in on Japan's first Olympiad since judo's debut in 1964," Marius Vizer, President of the IJF, said in a statement.

There will be seven weight categories respectively for the men's and the women's events.

The gold medal winners (including judokas and their coaches) will be each awarded 3,000 U.S. dollars.

Hohhot first hosted the IJF grand prix in 2017. The event offered local people an opportunity to marvel at the skills of judokas from around the world.