In recent years, judo has become one of the most successful industries in Israel.
In almost every competition he manages to put athletes on the podium, dozens of clubs with thousands of children are set up across the country, and in recent campaigns at the Olympics, in Rio and Tokyo, he has maintained the tradition of Olympic medals.
All this is due in no small part to the credit of Chairman Moshe Ponti, who joined the union in early 2012, in the midst of its dissolution. The athletes at the European and World Championships, the Grand Prix and the Grand Slam, and even made history - participating in competitions in the Gulf states, with the Israeli flag, long before they thought about the peace agreements.
Now, after the end of the campaign for Tokyo 2020 and the beginning of the journey to Paris 2024, Ponti (65), who was formerly Samadja's coach when he won an Olympic medal in Barcelona in 1992, sat down for an exclusive and unstoppable interview with "Israel Today".
"To tell the truth, I was expecting more in Tokyo," Ponti opens.
What did not work in the individual competitions?
"They competed against athletes who trained very hard, and we trained with mediocre athletes. In training we did not go up to the Olympic level. At that time it was not possible to hold more training camps abroad, nor could we bring strong athletes here.
For us it was a disaster because our athletes have to work at the highest level possible.
Needed more strong partners.
We still managed to bring an Olympic medal, even in this situation.
We picked everyone up there, gathered them and cheered, and everyone gave their all.
All the people of Israel have seen it. "
Who did not do the job right?
"No one can be blamed, nor can it be fixed now. From this campaign we conclude that everyone who is healthy should fly to every competition, and hope on the other hand that whoever gets infected will get the disease fast and get back to training."
There were responses that indicated that group competition was less considered.
"Only the 12 best countries have entered this competition, out of 100 that have tried to achieve the criterion over two years of competitions. We have succeeded."
What do we lack to reach the level of the judo powers in the world?
"We need 15-14 year olds to train like one number in the country, that they will lack nothing. They need to be trained to reach the top. I want to build a big cadre, that there will be no weight problem in any Olympics. When that happens, we will start talking about a gold medal."
Phonetic, Photo: Danny Maron
Do you think the team gets everything it needs today?
"Yes, but we still need middle-class sponsors, so that athletes have a quiet head to train. And also that they will not take us down in the budget. "I think we need to build a national judo home. I want our building, where we can practice, host countries for training camps that could also be stayed in. A home that will include dining rooms, rest rooms, treatments, a psychologist's room - they will have everything there."
"I made a mistake reopening the criterion"
The competition season will kick off this weekend with the Portuguese Grand Prix, and in February the Olympic team will also return to compete, first at the Paris Grand Slam, and then at the Tel Aviv Grand Slam, which will be held here for the second time in a row.
What changes did you make in preparation for the Paris 2024 campaign?
“I made it clear that athletes would not be able to go abroad for any other purpose without my permission.
After the games, let them do what they want.
Whoever wants to be a star - be a star.
Tal Flickr could not have been in Ninja Israel today.
He was photographed before the Olympics when he knew he was not traveling, but whoever wants to do such a thing today - it will not happen, he will be out.
Everyone who is now on the team is focused on training, competitions, criteria, bringing an Olympic medal.
I always tell them not to chase after sponsors.
If you bring achievements, the sponsors will already chase you, if you lose - they will forget you. "
Uri Sasson already has two Olympic medals. Would you recommend him to continue to the next campaign?
"This is something I do not deal with. Uri is an excellent athlete, and in the coming months we will see what happens. In any situation he can contribute to the Israeli team, even if he retires. If he wants to train and compete, he will get all the conditions. As long as it does not happen, he does not Belongs to the team. "
Uri Sasson, Photo: Alan Shiver
Is there anything you regret, that you would have done differently, throughout your time in the union?
"The World Championships last June had to show me the condition of the athletes, no matter if they win or lose. They really worked hard, but we trained with each other, and I had to light a red light that I had to train in different conditions to get better."
And what about the internal struggle between the weights, how this time we will not reach a situation where it will be decided at the last minute?
"This is also a point I regret that I did not make the decision. I had to deal with the Olympic Committee, that the best who can bring a medal - will fly to Tokyo. This time there will be no fights. In March 2024, once I know who the best - it is over. In March 2021, before "Tokyo, I reopened the criterion, and that's my mistake. Everyone who should have been at the Olympics was there, except for one weight."
After Tokyo, do you think that the gymnastics industry has made its debut as the most successful industry in Israel?
"No. There are two athletes who do not know what they will do in two years. Our success is to preserve the tradition. I hope that there will not be a situation where we will wait 12 years, as happened to us in 1992."
"Yael Arad? I do not bother and I do not bother her"
You managed to bring almost any competition you wanted to Israel. Any more dreams?
"Of course, the world championship. I intend to bring it to Israel in 2025. This is not a problem of money, I believe the state will give that money."
And at this World Cup, would you like to see Iranian athletes here?
"An Iranian delegation to a world championship held in Israel is my dream. After all, they have athletes who defected from Iran and are sure to come here, such as Said Moulay or those who competed in the refugee team."
Said Moulay (left), Photo: Reuters
If the chairman of the Iranian Judo Association reads this interview, what is your message to him?
"I want to go and tell him that - that I invite him to come to Israel for the world championships. That he will come here with his athletes and we will respect everyone, that he has nothing to fear, that he will be welcomed with open arms and I understand what lies behind the sport, but it does not happen.
"We were sitting in Israel at the time with former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with the chairman of the World Judo Association, Marius Wieser, and the Minister of Sports, Miri Regev - and he promised that everyone who wanted to come to Israel, including Iran, would enter and compete.
"I believe that Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will also agree to this, because we are all doing sports and not war."
A lot of things that have happened in recent years could not have happened without World Union President Marius Wieser.
"He fights for the truth and the values in sports. Other than that, we have an excellent relationship. He sees the achievements and understands that there is action here. Nothing would have happened without him."
What do you think is missing today in Israeli sports?
"It is impossible to achieve the result in the short way. There is a feeling here that coaches forget the way and want to shorten processes and then everything ends at the age of 18. You have to learn the way, doing it properly, not just in judo - it's in all other disciplines. The transition between junior and senior should be done in a gradual way, it can also be mentally broken.
And there are always quite a few problems with the military.
"I very much hope the military understands the outstanding active athletes. This is their three most important years. There is no point in giving them active athlete status if they do not go to training. They must not be delayed, it is their time to advance, and some are Olympic athletes. To be someone in the sports ministry who only deals with that. "
What do you think about the performance of Sports Minister Hili Trooper?
"Minister Trooper wants to do good for sports. I understand that he brought in larger sums and I hope he will distribute them properly. But on the other hand he did bring in more, but judo was reduced to almost a million shekels. Why should we be reduced? Do not understand it. A branch like Gymnastics, even if it does not bring a medal now in Paris, should not be taken down. On the contrary, it is an industry that has infrastructure, it has activists. It should be given the chance to do its best. It does not hurt those who succeed. "Let them continue to know that they have the safety net for Los Angeles 2028 as well."
With Minister Trooper, Photo: Udi Citiate
Where will we see you in four or five years? Still at the head of the union?
"If someone suitable comes after Paris, I will happily vacate the place, even though I can stay. I have motivation, I am interested in continuing to fight. I have a lot more to give."
And if there is an offer to get into politics?
"Am I a politician? I had a lot of offers to bring in functionaries, but I do not know how to do that."
And what about the role of chairman of the Olympic Committee in Israel?
"Not at all interesting, until control of the centers moves to the Olympic disciplines. Today I can influence from the outside. I learned one thing - people do not want changes. They do not even choose, they appoint. Hapoel, Maccabi. Not interesting. What I did in judo I could do too. In other industries. "
Now that Yael Arad is chairing the committee, do you expect her to help the industry more?
"Not at all. I do not expect. She does not bother me and I do not bother her."
With how many medals will the team return from Paris 2024?
"One, maybe. What I have said to date - I have existed. I believe in our athletes. Anyone who has been to Tokyo can do the same in Paris, and those who have not been there - will want to do everything to be in their place. There should be competition between them."
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