It's a decision that Saeid Mollaei has been waiting for weeks. It is now official. The 2018 World Champion, who had taken refuge in Germany after the Tokyo 2019 World Championships, has just received the official notice from the German Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF - ‘Bundesamt für Migration und Flucht’) that he can now benefit from the status of 'Recognized Refugee'.

This status, obtained in record time, thanks to the diligence of the German authorities and based on clear facts, gives him the right to live legally and safely in Germany, where he trains now and prepares to resume the course of his career, which had been halted following the events in Tokyo at the end of August.

As soon as the news was known, Saied Mollaei said: "I am very happy and I want to thank from the bottom of my heart everybody who helped me in those difficult moments. Now I can fully concentrate on judo and the preparation for the next IJF events and for the Olympic Games."

The administrative procedures are not completed yet though and the Saeid’s journey will remain long until Tokyo 2020. He must now obtain the papers to travel and take part in the competitions on the World Judo Tour to continue to collect valuable points at the World Ranking List.

With this first step completed, the whole judo family will continue to support all athletes around the world and hopes and wishes to see Saeid Mollaei on the tatami very soon.