With yesterday's very deserved promotion to 9 dan for Roy Inman and Colin McIver, surely the time must now be right to promote the cases of the two remaining Olympians from Tokyo 1964 - Brian Jacks and Syd Hoare.
Arguably, no one has done more to popularise judo and capture the imagination of the British people than Brian Jacks (and yes I know he now lives in Thailand). On his competitive record alone, Jacks merits 9 dan.
As well as being an international and Olympian, Syd Hoare is a former BJA Chairman, multi-published author and Japanese historian and scholar.
With their 1964 team-mates Alan Pethebridge and Tony Sweeney now longstanding 9 dan holders, I here make the call for Brian and Syd to be likewise honoured.
Arguably, no one has done more to popularise judo and capture the imagination of the British people than Brian Jacks (and yes I know he now lives in Thailand). On his competitive record alone, Jacks merits 9 dan.
As well as being an international and Olympian, Syd Hoare is a former BJA Chairman, multi-published author and Japanese historian and scholar.
With their 1964 team-mates Alan Pethebridge and Tony Sweeney now longstanding 9 dan holders, I here make the call for Brian and Syd to be likewise honoured.