Chandigarh: Chandigarh judo coach Vivek Thakur has completed the International Judo Federation (IJF) academy level 1 course for judo instructors with distinction and received coaching recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Amateur Judo Association of Chandigarh announced.Thakur, who has served as a judo coach with the UT Sports Council since 2019, holds a distinguished athletic background as a former international judoka, Commonwealth Championship silver medalist, and seven-time consecutive national gold medalist. He was also the topper of his NIS Diploma Course (2017–18).As one of India’s top judo coaches, Thakur has trained students who have won over 500 national medals and more than 15 international medals across 30+ international events. The UT administration honored him in 2023 for his meritorious contributions to sports.In addition to coaching, the Himachal Pradesh native is an A-grade national referee with the Judo Federation of India. Since 2023, he has been appointed as an Indian judo team coach on several occasions, accompanying the national squad to major events including grand prix competitions, Asian championships, and continental cups.Thakur also contributes to national judo education, serving as an examiner at NIS Patiala and LNIPE, as well as an assistant examiner for belt gradation tests conducted by the Judo Federation of India.
