bitLanders will once again be a proud sponsor of the New York Open Judo Team Championship on Sunday, March 29, 2015. The New York Athletic Club will host the event.
The teams in the Judo Tournament will include some of the strongest players in the world, featuring male and female World Champions and Olympians from the US, France and Germany. It will be the first international sporting event held in the US involving Cuban athletes since the recent announcement by the United States of new regulations easing restrictions on travel, business and remittances with Cuba. Cuba’s Women’s Judo Team will include 2012 Olympian Dayaris Mestre Alvarez, 2012 Olympic Silver Medalist Yanet Bermoy Acosta, 2014 Cuba National Champion Olga Masferrer, Aliuska Ojeda, and Yalennis Castillo. They will be facing a US team that includes Olympic champion Kayla Harrison and Olympic Bronze medalist Marti Malloy.
For the second time this year, the New York Open Judo will be the only international sports competition to reward its athletes in Bitcoin, a peer-to-peer payment system and digital currency. bitLanders will award the prize money in Bitcoin for the equivalent of $100 for every Ippon (Judo knock-out) scored in the Women’s Team competition. The Most Valuable Player will also receive the bitLanders Bitcoin Judo Cup.
During the event, a selected group of Olympic Female Players will be awarded a Superhero Certificate by Ms. Roya Mahboob, 2013 Time 100 Most Influential People.
Francesco Rulli, Founder of bitLanders says: “Judo was my school in life, a great Olympic sport that can empower people to face hurdles and surpass any difficulty. This is why Female Olympic champions attending the NY Open are great inspiration for the Superhero project launched by Women's Annex Foundation.”
The event will be presented to bitLanders audience of 500,000 registered users and their extended network of 125 million fans and friends, and distributed on www.FilmAnnex.com and www.JudoArts.com, two channels part of MTI USA Inc. network.
Watch highlights from last year:
About Judo
Judo debuted as an official Olympic sport in 1964 and is practiced by millions of people throughout the world today. The United States won its first Gold Medal in judo at the 2012 London Olympic Games (Kayla Harrison). The discipline of Judo is a Japanese martial art and combat sport that originated in Japan in the late nineteenth century. Best known for stunning throws, Judo also involves much grappling on the ground like wrestling, using hold-downs, submission chokes and arm locks.
Judo, translated as "gentle way," teaches balance, leverage and flexibility in performing throws and other skills, and helps to develop complete body control and fast reflexive action. Technique and timing, rather than brute strength, are the essential ingredients for success in this sport. Worldwide, over 20 million people practice Judo, with all age groups, both sexes and disabled persons all able to participate in learning and practicing the sport.
Judo develops self-discipline and respect for oneself and others, and helps teach self-confidence, concentration and leadership skills. It's no coincidence that several world leaders have also studied Judo, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, former Prime Minister of Canada Pierre Trudeau, former U.S. Senator of Colorado and Olympian Ben Campbell, and former President Theodore Roosevelt, as well as many celebrity judo practitioners such as director Guy Ritchie, actors Chuck Norris, James Cagney and Peter Sellers.
About bitLanders
bitLanders.com is digital platform whose user base earns Bitcoin for creating, engaging and sharing visual content. Designed in Italy and developed in New York City, bitLanders is a community of over 500,000 users and influencers with 125 million fans and friends. bitLanders ranks influencers and content creators based on their BuzzScore, a proprietary algorithm that measures the users’ engagement, content quality, reach and influence. The currency of bitLanders is Bitcoin.
bitLanders was launched in 2014 by MTI USA Inc., the original holding company started in 1995 by Francesco and Tommaso Rulli who immigrated to the United States in the early 1990's. While the original fabric, design and fashion business still operates on 20th Street in New York City, MTI USA, Inc. has evolved into a series of companies at the cutting edge of technology, Bitcoin, philanthropy, fashion, insurance and real estate.
About the New York Athletic Club
Founded in 1868, the New York Athletic Club can boast of a unique history. The Club's founding premise was to bring structure to a sporting environment that was lacking in organization and uniformity of measurement. Quickly, the NYAC organized the first US championships in boxing, wrestling and outdoor track and field. Today, our New York City Club House stands in tribute to an unmatched athletic history and our on-going commitment to the pursuit of sporting excellence. The NYAC was voted the #1 Athletic Club in the United States, the #1 Private Club in New York State and Distinguished Emerald Club of the World, 2013.
