Paris Saint-Germain to launch first Judo Academies in the Middle East
Paris Saint-Germain has football academies in 21 countries, and is now set to add judo academies to its portfolio of structures around the world.
September 2023 will see the first PSG Judo Academies open in the Middle East.
The PSG Judo Academy programme will try to deliver the same objectives as the club's academies in other sports: share the club's training know-how and offer hundreds of youngsters the chance to have top-class coaching within optimal infrastructure. Above and beyond that, the PSG Academies are places where the club's values are instilled in participants. The unique pedagogical method has been specially developed to assist youngsters in their growth towards adulthood. All educators will be experienced judo professionals, black belts, and trained by the club.
Already present in Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE through its football academies, the PSG Judo Academy will see the light of day in the Middle East thanks to an agreement signed between the club and GMNSM-Gymnasium.
GMNSM are child development specialists, offering sessions in sports such as judo, jiu-jitsu and football, as well as emotional intelligence development programmes.
As of September 2023, the judo academies will be able to welcome children aged from two to 16 in Doha and Dubai. GMNSM already has ultra-modern sports facilities in Dubai's prestigious The Palm and Burj Khalifa where the PSG Academy will set up through the summer. In the coming months, activities will also be proposed to schools in the Emirates, as well as in Doha, Qatar.
This will give participants a unique Paris Saint-Germain experience while developing physically and mentally in excellent conditions, all the while sharing Parisian values.
Under the supervision of Jamel Bouras, PSG Judo President and 1996 Olympic judo champion, the project could also be extended to other countries before the end of the year.