Kazakhstan’s Arman Abeuov Takes a Key IJF Role Beyond the Tatami

Arman Abeuov has been named head of the IJF Military Commission, a role within the IJF Military and Police Commission that connects judo with military and police structures around the world. The appointment puts a long-time judoka and sports administrator from Kazakhstan in an influential position at an important point where sport, education and public service meet.

The International Judo Federation says the commission helps supervise and promote judo in these institutions globally. Its work goes beyond competition, focusing on the educational, disciplinary and social values that judo can bring to organisations linked to public service and national defence.

For Abeuov, the appointment reflects both his administrative background and his deep personal history in judo. Based in Astana, the 43-year-old has served since May 2023 as chairperson of the Sports Committee of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan’s Central Sports Club.

In that position, he oversees the development of physical training and sport within Kazakhstan’s armed forces. His responsibilities include preparing athletes for national and international events, including competitions organised by the International Military Sports Council, while also supporting military applied sports and promoting military service among young people through sport.

This is a leadership move with judo reaching far beyond competition.

IJF President Marius Vizer welcomed the decision and pointed to Abeuov’s experience, leadership and lifelong dedication to judo as major strengths for the continued work of the Military and Police Commission. That endorsement underlines how central this role is to the federation’s wider mission.

Abeuov’s sporting profile also stands out. He holds a Master of Sports International Class qualification in judo, is a champion of Asia in judo and a ten-time champion of Kazakhstan. He also won the veterans world judo championships in Abu Dhabi in 2022 and in Las Vegas in 2024.

Those achievements give extra weight to his appointment. This is not only an administrative figure stepping into a new office, but someone who has lived the sport at a high level and continued to succeed on the tatami.

His academic path adds another layer to that profile. Abeuov studied jurisprudence and finance at Karaganda State University and later completed a master’s degree at the National Defense University of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan in ground forces, physical training and sport in the military.

The IJF also linked this appointment to Kazakhstan’s broader investment in judo as a tool for education, structure and social development. In that sense, Abeuov’s new role is about more than one career milestone. It also reflects a wider belief that judo can shape discipline, respect, courage and solidarity in environments far removed from medals and podiums.

Abeuov brings both medals and management experience into the IJF post.

With Abeuov now leading the IJF Military Commission, the federation is clearly reinforcing its push to build stronger links between judo, education and service institutions worldwide. It is a move rooted in experience, but also in a vision of judo that matters well beyond the sport itself.

Source: IJF.org

Image source: IJF / International Judo Federation