The centre, located adjacent to the Athletes Village for the 1968 Olympic Games, features a state-of-the-art high performance facility with athletes' housing, training, meals and medical support all within just a few hundred meters from each other.

It will primarily serve Pan American countries, but is also opened to all other IJF member nations. 

Vizer’s presence at the event came as part of a two-day visit to Mexico, which saw him hold meetings with Manuel Larrañaga, President of the Mexico Judo Federation and Pan American Judo Confederation, and Jose Humberto Rodriguez, IJF director of development, in Mexico City and Guadalajara.

Guadalajara, the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Jalisco, is due to play host to the World Judo Masters - the final competition of the Rio 2016 Olympic qualification period - from May 27 to 29.

"Our focus is put on the judo values and its principles - honour, self-discipline and respect - which make our sport so important for the education of the youth and generally speaking for the society," said Vizer.

"I am happy to be here in Mexico for the official opening of the IJF continental training centre."

The former SportAccord President added: "In May, the World Judo Masters will be held in the country.

"This is a significant step forward as this will be the first time ever that the event will be held in Pan America.

"This is a major step for the development of judo throughout the region.

"All of this wouldn’t have been possible without the strong support of the Ministry of Sport of Mexico."

Vizer also held meetings with Alfredo Castillo Cervantes, Mexico’s Minister of Sports, and Valentin Yanes, director of high performance for Mexico's Sports Ministry, in Mexico City.

The meetings centered around the IJF and Mexico Sports Ministry’s mutual interest in growing judo in Mexico and the Americas.

To this end, it was announced that a school-based grassroots programme will be funded and started in five locations across Mexico.

Coaches will be funded and equipment made available in Baja California, Monterrey, Veracruz, Jalisco and at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in Mexico City.

Mexico's Sports Ministry stated it will support all the actions of the IJF, encouraging the improvement of Mexican judo and giving its full commitment to future projects of the IJF and the Mexican Judo Federation.

 "We are thankful for the opportunity offered by the IJF President to support the World Judo Masters, the first one to be held in Pan America," said Cervantes

"We deeply appreciate the support of the IJF to open the training centre here in Mexico City and we believe in the IJF Academy role to promote education among the young coaches as we now have the first sessions in Spanish.

"We believe that judo is not only about training good athletes, but it’s also about creating a better society."

After the official opening of the centre and the launch of the IJF Academy in Mexico City, the IJF delegation travelled to Guadalajara where Vizer met with Aristoteles Sandoval, the Governor of Jalisco, and Andre Marx Miranda, Jalisco sports director.

To conclude the second day of the visit, the delegation visited the Estadio Adolfo López Mateos, venue for the World Judo Masters.