World Judo Day has been held annually since 2010, with October 28 the chosen date as it coincides with the birthday of Kanō Jigorō, the founder of the sport.

Explaining this year’s theme IJF President Marius Vizer said: "This year, we asked you to 'bring a friend' to join you on the tatami, where the dojo represents a secure place in which we can express ourselves freely.

"By inviting a friend, you demonstrate that judo is a sport but above all that it represents a way of life that we are ready to share with as many people as possible."

In a message posted to mark this year’s World Judo Day Vizer added: "This year, more than ever, we need courtesy, courage, honesty, honour, modesty, respect, self-control and friendship, as the moral code of judo teaches us.

"The world is going through difficult times, through conflicts that affect the most vulnerable and through a climate crisis that concerns us all.

"Friendship, which is at the heart of World Judo Day in 2023, is a fundamental value of understanding between peoples.

"Beyond all our differences, we must do everything so that our children live in a better world. This is what our judo community works towards every day."

The aim of World Judo Day is to promote the values of the sport and its education system to all judo clubs and judokas.