The Vanuatu Judo Federation is calling on the government to urgently find a proper venue for its athletes to train, after losing access to their previous space at the Ex-FOL building due to last year’s earthquake.

After the earthquake damaged the Ex-FOL complex, the space was taken over by the Department of Custom and Inland Revenue, forcing Judo and other martial arts groups to search for alternative training venues.

Judo was one of the first martial arts to find a temporary space. Athletes have been training for several months in a small stone house with a thatched (natangura) roof in Pango village, ahead of this year’s Pacific Mini Games.

But the Federation says the current location is far from ideal.

They face major challenges, including poor facilities and transport costs—especially compared to Ex-FOL, which was closer to most athletes’ homes.

“Some of the athletes are not working, but they try hard to find money for the bus fare to come to training,” said a coach.
“Our training house is leaking. We even put a table on top of it. I really hope the government can help us get a proper training place, because a good venue helps athletes succeed. If your training place is poor, you won’t be confident when you compete.”

Despite these challenges, Judo team manager Lala Josephine praised the athletes for their strong performance at the Pacific Mini Games in Palau.

“I’m proud of our team. Two of our athletes won gold, one got silver, and two got bronze—including in the mixed team event—so everyone came home with a medal,” she said.
“Our head coach couldn’t travel because of an injury, but another coach, Julien Boulard, supported the team well and helped them train with other countries before the competition.”

The Federation says that training in a leaking house with limited space shows the determination of their athletes—and highlights the need for better support.

They are now preparing for upcoming regional tournaments and setting their sights on the 2027 Pacific Games in Tahiti.