Monaco martial art Paijeda showcased at UNESCO Sports Day
By Zak Jackson, MonacoViews Editorial
Paijeda, a martial art created in Monaco in 2020, was demonstrated at UNESCO's International Day of Sport and Well-being in Paris by its founder and four young practitioners.
A martial art born in Monaco has earned an international platform, with Paijeda featured at UNESCO's International Day of Sport and Well-being. Founder Claude Pouget, who established the discipline in 2020 and now leads the Fédération Monégasque de Paijeda, travelled to the event alongside four young practitioners to demonstrate the art to a global audience.
The appearance gives Paijeda a level of visibility that few sports created in the Principality have achieved so quickly. For a discipline that is just six years old and developed within one of the world's smallest states, a UNESCO stage represents meaningful recognition of Monaco's capacity to originate, codify and export a sport. The delegation was accompanied by Séverine Dusaintpère, representing the Principality's sporting institutions.
Paijeda has been building a following locally since its creation, and this UNESCO showcase is likely to accelerate interest both within Monaco and among international federations watching the Principality's expanding role in martial arts development.