The Alau Ice Stadium is due to host the Opening Ceremony and competition at the Judo World Championships ©IJF

Final preparations are underway in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana as the city prepares to welcome the world’s best judokas for the 2015 International Judo Federation (IJF) World Championships.

Competition is due to begin on August 24, which is located on the Ishim River in the Akmola region of the country, and is set to draw to a close on August 30 following the completion of the team events.

Both IJF staff and Astana 2015 are working closely together ahead of the Championships to give the 823 athletes from 137 countries the best possible welcome to the IJF’s flagship event.

Athletes, their support teams and officials are due to be housed in 12 official hotels, while a transport system which includes 40 buses, 60 minibuses and 73 cars will help to transport them to the competition to ensure smooth running of the Championships.

The IJF will be hopeful that Astana can build on the success of the 2014 World Championships, which were held in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, and with just five days to go, 70 people are currently working on the finishing touches ahead of the event commencing.

Among the final tasks for the organisers has been the fitting of the lighting system, with 50 people working on completing the job, while around 120 tonnes of equipment has been shipped to Astana from Perm in Russia and Almaty in Kazakhstan.

Prior to the Championships taking place, the IJF are due to hold their annual Congress on August 21, while the following day a Hall of Fame Gala will celebrate the heroes and legends of the sport, with 10 new inductees set to be welcomed into the Hall of Fame.

Seven-time world champion Teddy Riner of France is set to be one of the names to watch in Astana
Seven-times world champion Teddy Riner of France is set to be one of the names to watch in Astana ©Getty Images

The Opening Ceremony will be staged on August 24 at the Alau Ice Stadium, which will then host competition throughout the duration of the Championships.

Excitement is currently building in the city, which is emblazoned with dozens of billboards and posters advertising the annual event, while six boutiques are set to provide fans with the opportunity to buy souvenirs.

The Championships had originally been awarded to Sao Paulo in 2010 but following the Brazilian city's withdrawal, Astana were named as hosts, ensuring Kazakhstan would host the event for the first time.



August 2015: Britain to send team of nine to World Judo Championships in Astana
September 2013: Astana awarded 2015 World Judo Championships