A cherry and a mango tree each were planted at the Good Shepherd Primary School last Saturday, in honour of this year’s World Judo Day theme Plant a Tree.
Students and Principal of the school, Wilma McClean, joined Ambassador of Japan to Barbados, Teruhiko Shinada, and members of the Barbados Judo Association, to mark the occasion.
Ambassador Shinada said World Judo Day was celebrated globally since 2011, and commemorates the birthday of judo’s founder, Dr. Jigoro Kano, who was instrumental in having judo included in school programmes in his country. He became the first Asian member of the International Olympic Committee.
“He is not only the founder of judo, but a prominent educator,” Ambassador Shinada said.
President of the Barbados Judo Association, Hoskins Caddle, explained that the Good Shepherd Primary was chosen because officials had expressed interest in starting a judo club at the school.
He said the Japanese had donated several gis to the association, which will be presented to the young judokas at the west coast school.
World Judo Day seeks to celebrate both the educational and social values of the sport.