Las Vegas to Host 2024 Veteran and Kata World Championships, Nov. 4-11
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by Nicole Jomantas
(Colorado Springs, CO) – USA Judo is pleased to announce that the 2024 International Judo Federation Veteran and Kata World Championships will be held in Las Vegas from Nov. 4-11 with more than 1,200 athletes expected to compete on U.S. soil.
The Veteran Worlds includes age divisions for athletes 30 and older with judoka fighting for gold in categories up to 80+ years old. The Kata Worlds includes competition for men and women in five different kata (forms) competitions with the tournament expanding in 2022 to add a U23 category as well.
USA Judo has contracted with MGO Events to manage the 2024 Veteran and Kata World Championships. MGO Events has more than 12 years of experience managing logistics for international tournaments, including the 2023 Veteran and Kata Worlds as well as numerous IJF and PJC events.
“We worked hard to bring the Veteran and Kata World Championship to Las Vegas this year and are very excited for USA Judo as an organization and the outstanding opportunity for our veteran athletes to compete on home soil against top athletes from around the world,” said USA Judo President Joe Ragan (Charlotte, NC), a nine-time Veteran World Team member who placed fifth at the 2022 Worlds. “We are appreciative of the IJF, PJC and MGO Events for working together with USA Judo to bring an IJF event to the United States to capitalize on the increasing interest in judo in America during the leadup to the LA 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We expect this to be this largest World Judo Championships ever held.”
The Veteran World Championships were held for the last time in the United States in 2016 when nearly 1,000 athletes from 55 countries competed in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The 2023 edition of the Veteran World Championships included 973 athletes from 63 nations competing in Abu Dhabi with four members of Team USA winning medals.
Beginning in 2021, the Veteran and Kata World Championships were held as combined events, allowing athletes to compete in both the veteran shiai tournament as well as the Kata Worlds in the same week.
Additional details regarding the tournament will be released in the coming weeks.
