Judo Facility Under Construction in Russia's Urals to Outsize Japanese One

The judo facility presently being constructed in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, in the Urals, will outsize the World Judo Center in Tokyo, City Hall officials say.

According to the officials, the new judo gym in Chelyabinsk, to provide 1,080 square meters of wrestling space, will be 6 meters larger than Tokyo's.

The facility is to be commissioned in August or September of 2003. The local judo federation will use it for training sessions and workshops, to be conducted by leading judoists and coaches from Russian regions. Young judo amateurs will be invited to train here alongside established masters.

Russia's State Sports Committee and the National Judo Federation have pledged to fit out the facility with state-of-the-art athletic and medical equipment.