Until the opening of the first Judo Club at Pelkhil School in 2010, most people in Bhutan had never heard of Judo. However, in a very short period of time, the club had members from over 17 schools in Thimphu valley. In 2015, the Bhutan Olympic Committee awarded affiliation and the Pelkhil Judo Club was upgraded to the Bhutan Judo Association. Since then, Bhutanese Judoka have represented Bhutan at many international sports events, most recently the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Bhutanese Judoka have won 4 bronze medals at the South Asian region.
The first Judo coach was Sensei Michihiro Yamasaki (2010-2013), followed by Sensei Yoshihiro Horiuchi (2014-2016), Sensei Miyu Uchida (2017-2019).
Currently, the members are trained by Sensei Yusuke Utashiro, Sensei Yuuki Fukui and Sensei Pema Dargay.
President: Mr. Karma L Dorji
General Seretary: Mr. Sonam Dorji
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VISION
Jita Kyoei, or ‘mutual prosperity’ is the guiding principle of Judo and this is well aligned with the spirit of gross national happiness. The vision of BJA is to promote the art and spirit of Judo in Bhutan while promoting physical health, psychological resilience and spiritual wellbeing.
MISSION
- Build an excellent Judo training facility in Bhutan in partnership with supporters within and outside of Bhutan.
- Establish a Judo Academy to cultivate both body and spirit of the members.
- Support Judo workshops in Bhutan with international coaches.
- Foster collaboration and exchanges between the Bhutanese Judo Association and other international Judo clubs
- And last but not least, build a wide grassroot base so that all children can enjoy the beauty of Judo.
Email: [email protected]
Contact No: +975 17110083