María Martínez Murciego
From the tatami to leading sport, always as a team.
The tatami was my first school and it is still my root: there I learned that what defines a judoka is getting back on their feet, with discipline, respect and hard work. Over the years, that calling as a sensei also became a calling to serve through the leadership and management of sport. Today I work as part of a team, and people trust us because we deliver: what we achieve is never the merit of one person, it belongs to the athletes, the coaches, the families and the many people who walk alongside us. All of us, each from our own role, are going after the same gold medal: to see Peruvian sport and our people grow.
“The true gold of Peruvian judo is that it got back on its feet.”
“We went from asking for opportunities to offering guarantees.”
“Goals are reached with passion, discipline and love for what you do.”
Her leadership in numbers
My root will always be the tatami.
My path in sport began by teaching, and that calling as a sensei is still my root. I was Peru's national coach through the Tokyo Games and head of the federation's Technical Unit, and what fulfills me most is guiding our judoka so they grow as athletes and as people. From my teacher, José Antonio Terán, I learned that judo is passed on by example: proving yourself every day, on and off the tatami.
I was born in Spain and became Peruvian by choice and by love: I am Peruvian, my roots are in Spain, and here I am happy. In December 2022 I became the first Peruvian to reach 7th Dan, a rank that recognizes merit, knowledge and service to judo. I received it with pride and dedicated it to Peru, to my family and to everyone who walks alongside me in this sport.
Together we made Peru a benchmark for judo in the region.
In January 2021 I took on the presidency of the Peruvian Judo Federation, the first woman to do so, and for the 2025 to 2028 term the federation renewed its trust in me by unanimous vote. From day one we set out, as a team, to plan for the long term, put our processes in order and make doing things properly our way of working.
That teamwork bore fruit: today the judo world trusts Peru, and that credibility opens doors for us at home and abroad. My goal, together with the whole team, is for that growth to reach every region, so that those who train in the provinces have the same elite conditions as in Lima, because talent is everywhere in Peru.
The milestones.
A Peruvian voice in Olympic and continental sport.
Under this leadership, and thanks to a great team, Peru hosted a world judo championship for the first time, the Lima 2024 Cadet World Championships, with nearly 500 judoka from 51 countries; and in 2026 we welcomed the IJF Grand Prix Lima, the highest-level judo event ever held in our country. At the same time I have the honor of serving as Secretary General of the Peruvian Olympic Committee and as Development Director of the South American Judo Confederation, adding Peru's voice to the growth of sport in the region and around the world.
That they grow into great athletes and good citizens.
I dream of a complete upbringing: girls and boys who are disciplined on the tatami and good citizens off it, who look after their studies and their conduct. I want that opportunity to reach every region of the country, and for the next generation, on the road to Los Angeles 2028, to grow with passion, discipline and love for what they do. This path we are building together, and it is only just beginning.
Let's build the sport we dream of, together.
If you share this passion for sport and for the growth of our people, I would love to hear from you. For institutional matters, the Peruvian Judo Federation is always the best way in; from there, and as a team, we build partnerships, support our athletes and take judo to more places across Peru.