The Croatian capital has been a annual stop on the IJF World Judo Tour since 2014 and, it is claimed, this year's three-day Grand Prix, due to start tomorrow, will be the best event yet as it falls within the new Olympic qualification period. 

The qualifying period opened with the IJF Grand Prix in Chinese city Hohhot in May. 

The event in Zagreb will also be an important form guide for this year's World Judo Championships, due to take place in Baku between September 20 and 27. 

Japan's team will provide five of the current world champions competing in Zagreb.

The men will be represented by Takato Naohisa in the under-60 kilograms, Abe Hifumi in the under-66kg and the women by Tonaki Funa in the under-48kg, Shshime Ai in the under-52kg and Asahina Sarah in the open weight.

The other world champion is Nemanja Majdov, in the under-90kg, from neighbouring Serbia. 

All the world champions will wear red back patches to indicate their status.

The Olympic champions competing in Zagreb will wear gold back patches.

They are women's gold medallists, Rafaela Silva in the under-57kg and Slovenia's Tina Trstenjak in the under-63kg, and Italy's Fabio Basile in the men's under-66kg.

Croatia have selected a squad of 16 and will be hoping to ride the momentum created by the country's footballers after they finished runners-up in the FIFA World Cup.

Home hopes are expected to rest mainly on 23-year-old Barbara Matić, a two-time European Championship bronze medallist in the under-70kg category. 

“On behalf of the IJF President Mr. Marius Vizer, I’d like to congratulate Croatia not only for staging this popular event on the IJF calendar but also for their fine performance during the football World Cup," IJF head sport director Vladimír Bárta told a press conference. 

"This weekend we have a host of Olympic and world champions in action and we expect a world-class competition."

You can watch the action on Judo TV here.