https://planetjudo.com/english/rss.xml Fri, 4 Sep 2026 10:55:07 +0000 https://irishjudoassociation.ie/2026/09/01/membership-price-increase-1st-september-2026/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=membership-price-increase-1st-september-2026 As discussed at the IJA Annual General Meeting in May 2026, the IJA Executive Committee has approved a membership fee increase from 1st September 2026. The increase will help the IJA continue to support its judo activities and deliver the goals of the Strategic Plan 2026–2028. Membership fees will increase by €10.00 for the following [...] Irish Judo Association National https://irishjudoassociation.ie/?p=26479 Tue, 01 Sep 2026 12:57:52 +0000 <p>As discussed at the IJA Annual General Meeting in May 2026, the IJA Executive Committee has approved a membership fee increase from 1st September 2026. The increase will help the IJA continue to support its judo activities and deliver the goals of the Strategic Plan 2026–2028.</p> <p>Membership fees will increase by €10.00 for the following categories:</p> <ul> <li>Under 12s: €40</li> <li>Under 18s: €50</li> <li>3rd Level Students: €55</li> <li> <p role="presentation">Over 18s: €70</p> </li> </ul> <p>Pro-Rata Membership</p> <p>From 1st September 2026, new members will benefit from 16 months&#8217; membership for the price of 12 months. This offers great value and is a good opportunity to encourage new members to join. As clubs reopen after the summer break, please encourage members to download the IJA Membership App.</p> <p>Please note: Membership applications cannot be made through the app. New members should apply through the IJA website.</p> <p data-start="320" data-end="417">Getting started is simple: download the relevant app and follow the quick <strong><span style="color: #339966;"><a style="color: #339966;" href="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Instruction-Guide-IJA-Membership-App-1.pdf">instruction guide</a> </span></strong>to get set up.</p> <p data-start="320" data-end="417"><img decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-26485" src="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Android.png" alt="" width="131" height="134" srcset="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Android-200x205.png 200w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Android.png 248w" sizes="(max-width: 131px) 100vw, 131px" /> <img decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-26486" src="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Play-Console-300x298.jpg" alt="" width="140" height="139" srcset="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Play-Console-66x66.jpg 66w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Play-Console-150x150.jpg 150w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Play-Console-200x200.jpg 200w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Play-Console-300x298.jpg 300w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Play-Console-400x397.jpg 400w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Play-Console-500x497.jpg 500w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Play-Console-600x596.jpg 600w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Play-Console-700x695.jpg 700w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Play-Console.jpg 761w" sizes="(max-width: 140px) 100vw, 140px" /></p> <p data-start="419" data-end="508" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node=""><p>The post <a href="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/2026/09/01/membership-price-increase-1st-september-2026/">Membership Price Increase 1st September 2026</a> first appeared on <a href="https://irishjudoassociation.ie">Irish Judo Association</a>.</p> https://judocanada.org/2026/08/31/judo-canada-announces-board-of-directors-following-2026-annual-general-meeting/ <p>Montreal, August 31, 2026 – Judo Canada is pleased to announce the composition of its Board of Directors following the organization’s 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM),<span class="excerpt-hellip"> […]</span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://judocanada.org/2026/08/31/judo-canada-announces-board-of-directors-following-2026-annual-general-meeting/">Judo Canada Announces Board of Directors Following 2026 Annual General Meeting</a> appeared first on <a href="https://judocanada.org">Judo Canada</a>.</p> Judo Canada News https://judocanada.org/?p=74748 Mon, 31 Aug 2026 15:50:49 +0000 <p>Montreal, August 31, 2026 – Judo Canada is pleased to announce the composition of its Board of Directors following the organization’s 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM), held virtually on Sunday, August 30.</p> <p>Judo Canada’s voting members, consisting of its Provincial and Territorial Judo Associations, participated in the election of five positions on the Board of Directors.</p> <p>Five Board positions were up for election this year. Chair Donna Hanson, Treasurer Miguel Rueda and Director Ruth Lam completed their respective terms and stood for re-election. Two additional vacancies resulted from the departure of Bernard Letendre, who chose not to seek another term, and General Secretary Gérald Poirier, who reached the maximum number of terms permitted under Judo Canada’s bylaws.</p> <p>Following the election, Donna Hanson, Miguel Rueda and Ruth Lam were re-elected to the Board, while Maxime Tremblay and Eric Cherneff were elected as new Directors.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/JC-Board-2026-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-74749" srcset="https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/JC-Board-2026-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/JC-Board-2026-300x200.jpg 300w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/JC-Board-2026-768x512.jpg 768w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/JC-Board-2026-391x260.jpg 391w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/JC-Board-2026-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/JC-Board-2026-113x75.jpg 113w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/JC-Board-2026-480x320.jpg 480w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/JC-Board-2026-24x16.jpg 24w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/JC-Board-2026-36x24.jpg 36w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/JC-Board-2026-48x32.jpg 48w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/JC-Board-2026.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width:767px) 480px, (max-width:1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <p><strong>Photo: </strong>Gala 2026 &#8211; Open Nationals Calgary</p> <p>Immediately following the AGM, the newly constituted Board of Directors held its first meeting and elected its officers. Donna Hanson was re-elected as Chair of the Board, Miguel Rueda was re-elected as Treasurer, and Jennifer Parker was elected General Secretary.</p> <p>“I am honoured to have the confidence of my fellow Board members to continue serving as Chair of Judo Canada,” said Donna Hanson. “Our organization continues to evolve, and I look forward to working with our returning and newly elected Directors to build on the progress we have made. I would also like to sincerely thank Gérald Poirier and Bernard Letendre for their commitment, leadership and many contributions to Judo Canada. As we welcome Maxime Tremblay and Eric Cherneff to the Board, we remain focused on strong governance, supporting our Provincial and Territorial Associations, and creating opportunities for judo to grow and succeed across Canada.”</p> <p>Judo Canada Board of Directors</p> <p>Following the 2026 AGM and subsequent Board meeting, the Judo Canada Board of Directors is composed of:</p> <p>Donna Hanson – Chair of the Board<br>Miguel Rueda – Treasurer<br>Jennifer Parker – General Secretary<br>Alfredo Muñoz – Director<br>Sandra MacDonald – Director<br>Ruth Lam – Director<br>Maxime Tremblay – Director<br>Eric Cherneff – Director<br>Julien Frascadore – Athlete Representative</p> <p>Judo Canada extends its sincere appreciation to Gérald Poirier and Bernard Letendre for their service to the organization and their contributions during their time on the Board of Directors.</p> <p>The organization also congratulates all elected and returning Directors and thanks its Provincial and Territorial Associations for their participation in the 2026 AGM and governance process.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://judocanada.org/2026/08/31/judo-canada-announces-board-of-directors-following-2026-annual-general-meeting/">Judo Canada Announces Board of Directors Following 2026 Annual General Meeting</a> appeared first on <a href="https://judocanada.org">Judo Canada</a>.</p> https://judocanada.org/2026/08/31/a-disappointed-kyle-reyes-refocuses-on-a-medal-at-next-grand-slam/ <p>Canada’s only judoka on the tatami Sunday at the Lausanne Grand Slam (Switzerland), Kyle Reyes (-100 kg) was eliminated in his first match of the day. Disappointed with<span class="excerpt-hellip"> […]</span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://judocanada.org/2026/08/31/a-disappointed-kyle-reyes-refocuses-on-a-medal-at-next-grand-slam/">A disappointed Kyle Reyes refocuses on a medal at next grand slam</a> appeared first on <a href="https://judocanada.org">Judo Canada</a>.</p> Judo Canada News https://judocanada.org/?p=74735 Mon, 31 Aug 2026 13:03:57 +0000 <p>Canada’s only judoka on the tatami Sunday at the Lausanne Grand Slam (Switzerland), <strong>Kyle Reyes</strong> (-100 kg) was eliminated in his first match of the day. Disappointed with his performance, he plans to regroup physically in order to bounce back in the coming weeks.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Reyes_20260830-1024x683.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-74737" srcset="https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Reyes_20260830-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Reyes_20260830-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Reyes_20260830-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Reyes_20260830-391x260.jpeg 391w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Reyes_20260830-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Reyes_20260830-112x75.jpeg 112w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Reyes_20260830-480x320.jpeg 480w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Reyes_20260830-24x16.jpeg 24w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Reyes_20260830-36x24.jpeg 36w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Reyes_20260830-48x32.jpeg 48w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Reyes_20260830.jpeg 1600w" sizes="(max-width:767px) 480px, (max-width:1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <p>Facing Bulgaria’s Boris Georgiev in the opening bout, the Ontarian believes he wasn’t effective enough in grappling, and let his opponent close in on him too easily. That was all it took for Georgiev to secure the victory with a waza-ari &#8211; scored within the first thirty seconds of the match. As if adding insult to injury, Georgiev also earned a yuko in the final minute of regulation time.</p> <p>“I’m pretty unhappy about how I performed. I wasn’t at the level that I wanted to be,” commented Reyes.</p> <p>It’s worth noting that the 32-year-old veteran athlete also underwent surgery about seven months ago, which has greatly affected his preparation this season. Although he feels confident and has been recovering well since then, his training volume hasn’t exactly been optimal.</p> <p>“For three or four months, I couldn’t do much training or judo at all, and as you age, it gets harder and harder to get yourself back up to high-performance levels again,” he added with a rueful chuckle.</p> <p>Yet despite this abbreviated training period, in early August Reyes won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games – demonstrating that his fitness is improving, and that he’s still got what it takes to step onto the podium.</p> <p>Discussing that medal and the Games, he stated, “The Commonwealth Games went well overall. I just have to get ready for more people that try holds from gripping lapels and on the back – there weren’t many opponents that did that move at the Commonwealth Games, so I have to get ready for that in other competitions.” </p> <p>Reyes will be back on the tatami on September 13th for the Hungarian Grand Slam, where he hopes to win a medal. Part of the Toronto-based athlete’s training plan to step onto the podium? A bigger focus on holds during training. “My goal is also to get my body in better shape,” he added.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://judocanada.org/2026/08/31/a-disappointed-kyle-reyes-refocuses-on-a-medal-at-next-grand-slam/">A disappointed Kyle Reyes refocuses on a medal at next grand slam</a> appeared first on <a href="https://judocanada.org">Judo Canada</a>.</p> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KiTj4kg47o Chadi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KiTj4kg47o Thu, 27 Aug 2026 13:30:06 +0000 2026-08-28T07:41:41Z https://judocanada.org/2026/08/24/canada-down-to-the-wire-in-team-event/ <p>Montréal, August 23, 2026 –Canada’s judokas put on a spectacular showing on Sunday in their repechage match against France in the mixed team competition at the<span class="excerpt-hellip"> […]</span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://judocanada.org/2026/08/24/canada-down-to-the-wire-in-team-event/">Canada Down to the Wire in Team Event</a> appeared first on <a href="https://judocanada.org">Judo Canada</a>.</p> Judo Canada News https://judocanada.org/?p=74619 Mon, 24 Aug 2026 12:55:39 +0000 <p>Montréal, August 23, 2026 –Canada’s judokas put on a spectacular showing on Sunday in their repechage match against France in the mixed team competition at the Cadet World Judo Championships in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Unfortunately, despite their valiant efforts, the Canadians fell to the French after seven bouts.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" src="https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/7043b703-c676-4e13-b145-56fd2164bc4e-1024x768.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-74620" srcset="https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/7043b703-c676-4e13-b145-56fd2164bc4e-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/7043b703-c676-4e13-b145-56fd2164bc4e-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/7043b703-c676-4e13-b145-56fd2164bc4e-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/7043b703-c676-4e13-b145-56fd2164bc4e-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/7043b703-c676-4e13-b145-56fd2164bc4e-100x75.jpeg 100w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/7043b703-c676-4e13-b145-56fd2164bc4e-480x360.jpeg 480w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/7043b703-c676-4e13-b145-56fd2164bc4e-24x18.jpeg 24w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/7043b703-c676-4e13-b145-56fd2164bc4e-36x27.jpeg 36w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/7043b703-c676-4e13-b145-56fd2164bc4e-48x36.jpeg 48w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/7043b703-c676-4e13-b145-56fd2164bc4e.jpeg 1600w" sizes="(max-width:767px) 480px, (max-width:1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <p><strong>Zoe Element</strong>&nbsp;kicked things off for the Canadians with a victory over Mamitantely Oceana Stefanie in the under-48 kg category.&nbsp;<strong>Amir Temirbaev</strong>&nbsp;(-60 kg) kept up the momentum by defeating Loris Gonzalez.</p> <p>Quebec’s&nbsp;<strong>Emma Tritton</strong>&nbsp;then followed suit in the under-63 kg division. Although Tritton normally competes in the under-57 kg weight class, she defeated Grace-Divine Kitutele in impressive fashion.</p> <p>“It was super exciting! I think our athletes sometimes see themselves as underdogs against such strong countries, but they all really stepped up. Zoe came back from behind, Amir pulled off a big win, and Emma—who is much smaller than her opponent—also came out on top. It was all very exciting!” exclaimed Canadian coach&nbsp;<strong>Antoine Bouchard</strong>.</p> <p>However, the tide then turned in favour of the French. Canadians&nbsp;<strong>Jasur Aliyev</strong>&nbsp;(-81 kg),&nbsp;<strong>Olivia Wisniowski</strong>&nbsp;(+63 kg), and&nbsp;<strong>Matthew Molchanov</strong>&nbsp;(+81 kg) were defeated one by one, bringing the score to 3-3. The tiebreaker match, through random draw, pitted Tritton against Kitutele once again, and this time, Kitutele was out for revenge. She quickly threw Tritton to the ground, allowing her team to advance to the next round.</p> <p>“That was a bit hard to take. All our athletes had faced heavy hitters, and it came right down to the wire. Everyone did very well, and we would have felt good about any of them taking on the seventh bout. There was a lot of pressure on Emma, especially after her first win, but it was nevertheless an invaluable experience,” added Bouchard.</p> <p>Earlier in the day, Canada had defeated Ecuador 4-1.&nbsp;<strong>Presley Tompking</strong>&nbsp;(-63 kg), Matthew Molchanov,&nbsp;<strong>Emiliya Aliyeva</strong>&nbsp;(+63 kg), and Zoe Element all contributed to the victory for Bouchard’s team.</p> <p>In the following round, however, the Brazilians halted the Canadians, winning four matches and sending Canada to the repechage.</p> <p>“All our athletes should be proud of themselves. They all fought very well. Our main objective was to compete in as many bouts as possible, so as to gain as much experience as possible, and we succeeded in doing that. We would have liked to fight for a medal, of course, but those extra few bouts this weekend will serve us well in the future,” concluded the coach.</p> <p>The Canadian judo team thus wraps up the Cadet World Championships with a total of four medals: one gold, one silver, and two bronze. The cadet judokas will now enjoy a short break before returning to international competition in October at the Pan-American Cups, which will be held on North American soil.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://judocanada.org/2026/08/24/canada-down-to-the-wire-in-team-event/">Canada Down to the Wire in Team Event</a> appeared first on <a href="https://judocanada.org">Judo Canada</a>.</p> https://judocanada.org/2026/08/23/matthew-molchanov-nabs-fourth-medal-for-canada-at-cadet-world-championships/ <p>Matthew Molchanov was the only Canadian judoka to advance to the final rounds on Saturday at the Cadet World Championships in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The Ontarian made his<span class="excerpt-hellip"> […]</span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://judocanada.org/2026/08/23/matthew-molchanov-nabs-fourth-medal-for-canada-at-cadet-world-championships/">Matthew Molchanov Nabs Fourth Medal for Canada at Cadet World Championships</a> appeared first on <a href="https://judocanada.org">Judo Canada</a>.</p> Judo Canada News https://judocanada.org/?p=74613 Sun, 23 Aug 2026 22:50:54 +0000 <p><strong>Matthew Molchanov</strong> was the only Canadian judoka to advance to the final rounds on Saturday at the Cadet World Championships in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The Ontarian made his mark as the day came to a close, winning his bronze medal match in the under-90 kg weight category.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="677" src="https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260822_MOLCHANOV-1024x677.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-74614" srcset="https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260822_MOLCHANOV-1024x677.jpeg 1024w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260822_MOLCHANOV-300x198.jpeg 300w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260822_MOLCHANOV-768x508.jpeg 768w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260822_MOLCHANOV-391x260.jpeg 391w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260822_MOLCHANOV-113x75.jpeg 113w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260822_MOLCHANOV-480x318.jpeg 480w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260822_MOLCHANOV-24x16.jpeg 24w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260822_MOLCHANOV-36x24.jpeg 36w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260822_MOLCHANOV-48x32.jpeg 48w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260822_MOLCHANOV.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width:767px) 480px, (max-width:1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <p>In his final bout against Nurradin Aliyev of Azerbaijan, Molchanov scored early, then proceeded to block all of his opponent’s attacks. He thus finished the day on the third step of the podium.</p> <p>“It was pretty much his easiest fight of the day. [Matthew] controlled his opponent well and kept the risks to a minimum. He’s extremely strong on the ground, and he took advantage of that to control the match, which he ultimately won very decisively. He’s put in some great performances all year, and in my opinion, he was a medal contender right from the beginning of the day,” said Canadian coach&nbsp;<strong>Antoine Bouchard</strong>.</p> <p>Earlier on Saturday, Molchanov received a first-round bye, before defeating Hleb Sauchanka of Belarus fairly easily. However, in the next round, he lost to Omar Akhundov of Azerbaijan in overtime. The Canadian then defeated Tajus Babaicenko of Lithuania to claim his spot in the bronze medal final.</p> <p>“His quarter-final match against Akhundov was very close. In overtime, I thought Matthew had scored and was going to win, but the referees revised it and decided otherwise. Matthew was disappointed about that, but he quickly turned his focus to the repechage, where he beat the Lithuanian, who is one of the best in the world,” added Bouchard.</p> <p>In the same weight class,&nbsp;<strong>Emelyan Sokolov</strong>&nbsp;advanced to the quarter-finals, where he lost to Jurabek Eshpulatov of Uzbekistan, who later won the silver medal. In the repechage, the Ontarian bowed out to Aslan Tuaev of Russia. He had begun his day with two consecutive wins against Heitor Sousa of Brazil and Daniil Setsko of Belarus.</p> <p>“Emelyan’s first match was a bit unusual because he got thrown, so we thought it was over. But in fact, the Brazilian had performed an illegal manoeuvre. That lit a fire under Emelyan, and he won the match on penalties. At the end of the day, he was pitted against two very physical opponents, but he held his own very well, especially against [Eshpulatov].”</p> <p>In the under-81 kg category,&nbsp;<strong>Jasur Aliyev</strong>&nbsp;lost his first and only fight of the day to Rustam Kashipov of Russia.</p> <p>On the girls’ side,&nbsp;<strong>Emiliya Aliyeva</strong>&nbsp;finished seventh in the over-70 kg division, having won two bouts and lost two. She defeated Maria Gvaladze of Georgia and Ballalo Coulibaly Toure of Spain, before losing to Hatice Tuana Balci of Turkey in the quarter-finals. In the repechage, she was unable to gain the upper hand over Maelyne Wandji of France.</p> <p>“Emiliya had two big wins, which really gave her a boost. In the quarter-finals, her Turkish opponent attacked repeatedly, so Emiliya ended up receiving a few penalties, and her opponent took advantage of that at the end,” explained Bouchard.</p> <p>Also in the over-70 kg group,&nbsp;<strong>Olivia Wisniowski</strong>&nbsp;lost her first match of the day to Russia’s Anna Zheleva, while&nbsp;<strong>Malak Azar</strong>&nbsp;(-70 kg) had an early win over Argentina’s Valentina Garro, but was eliminated in the next round by Diana Samoiliuk of Ukraine.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://judocanada.org/2026/08/23/matthew-molchanov-nabs-fourth-medal-for-canada-at-cadet-world-championships/">Matthew Molchanov Nabs Fourth Medal for Canada at Cadet World Championships</a> appeared first on <a href="https://judocanada.org">Judo Canada</a>.</p> https://judocanada.org/2026/08/22/anes-mati-cadet-world-champion/ <p>Five bouts, five victories, and one championship title in the Under 66 kg category: that’s how Anes Mati’s day went today in Guayaquil, Ecuador, at the Cadet World<span class="excerpt-hellip"> […]</span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://judocanada.org/2026/08/22/anes-mati-cadet-world-champion/">Anes Mati: Cadet World Champion!</a> appeared first on <a href="https://judocanada.org">Judo Canada</a>.</p> Judo Canada News https://judocanada.org/?p=74607 Sat, 22 Aug 2026 11:56:42 +0000 <p>Five bouts, five victories, and one championship title in the Under 66 kg category: that’s how <strong>Anes Mati’s</strong> day went today in Guayaquil, Ecuador, at the Cadet World Championships.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="746" src="https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260821_anes_mati-1024x746.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-74608" srcset="https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260821_anes_mati-1024x746.jpeg 1024w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260821_anes_mati-300x219.jpeg 300w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260821_anes_mati-768x560.jpeg 768w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260821_anes_mati-103x75.jpeg 103w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260821_anes_mati-480x350.jpeg 480w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260821_anes_mati-24x17.jpeg 24w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260821_anes_mati-36x26.jpeg 36w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260821_anes_mati-48x35.jpeg 48w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260821_anes_mati.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width:767px) 480px, (max-width:1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <p>Late Friday afternoon, the Montreal-based judoka faced off against Giorgi Kapanadze (Georgia) in the grand final of his weight class. Mati scored two yukos, and was able to protect his lead until the very end of the bout to claim the top spot on the podium.</p> <p>Canadian Coach&nbsp;<strong>Antoine Bouchard</strong>&nbsp;commented, “The final match was the one he handled best, and where he was in the least danger. He was able to score points and then minimized any threats or risk from his opponent’s throws. Anes was in control from start to finish—it was a great bout. Last year, Anes finished fifth. Today, his goal was to make it onto the podium. While I don’t know how much he truly believed he could win the gold medal, he fought very, very hard all day,” the coach added.</p> <p>Earlier in the day, the Québecer defeated the Ukraine’s Davyd Uhrekhelidze, Belarus’ Mikita Litskevich, and Bulgaria’s Vladimir Todorov in quick succession to order to reach the semifinals, where he then added Russia’s Kantemir Khuranov to his list of bested opponents.</p> <p>What’s more, all of the aforementioned bouts went the full four minutes of regulation time, or went into overtime.</p> <p>“He worked very hard all day long: I’d say the most decisive bout was the semifinal. The Russian judoka was very aggressive at the start of the match, but Anes managed to put increasing pressure on him until the other judoka cracked.”</p> <p>On the women’s tatami,&nbsp;<strong>Nicole Daria Manaila</strong>&nbsp;also fought her way to the podium in her weight class. In the bronze medal match in the Under-57 kg division, the Québec judoka defeated Helea Bailleul (France) in a bout that was rather similar to Anes Mati’s final match just moments earlier.</p> <p>“Much like Anes, Nicole managed the bout very well by picking up points and throwing her opponent. She was in perfect control of the pace. Tactically, it was very well executed,” noted Bouchard.</p> <p>After an opening-round victory over Argentina’s Abril Flores, Manaila was eliminated in the next round by Japan’s Yura Obikane. Yet the Canadian didn’t give up, and rallied back to secure a victory in the repechage against Yerkenaz Sembek (Kazakhstan) to advance to the bronze-medal match.</p> <p>“Her first victory was fairly easy and quick. When she faced the Japanese opponent, she managed to score, but then she was then taken down. When you lose in the quarterfinals, the most important thing is to bounce back quickly, and that’s exactly what she did in the repechage,” concluded the Canadian coach.</p> <p>In the same weight class,&nbsp;<strong>Emma Tritton</strong>&nbsp;was defeated in her first match of the day against Yura Obikane.</p> <p>Meanwhile,&nbsp;<strong>Victoria Summers</strong>&nbsp;(-63 kg) go the better of Lithuania’s Meida Kulikauskate before having to accept defeat at the hands of Germany’s Jolina Reinhold, who went on to win the gold medal in the weight class.</p> <p><strong>Leiya Chiasson</strong>&nbsp;(-52 kg) and&nbsp;<strong>Presley Tompking</strong>&nbsp;(-63 kg) were both defeated in their first bouts, as was&nbsp;<strong>Jonas Nelissen</strong>, who was competing in the cadet men’s Under 73 kg category.</p> <p><strong>Jasur Aliyev</strong>&nbsp;(-81 kg),&nbsp;<strong>Emelyan Sokolov</strong>&nbsp;(-90 kg),&nbsp;<strong>Matthew Molchanov</strong>&nbsp;(-90 kg),&nbsp;<strong>Malak Azar</strong>&nbsp;(-70 kg),&nbsp;<strong>Emiliya Aliyeva</strong>&nbsp;(+70 kg) and&nbsp;<strong>Olivia Wisniowski</strong>&nbsp;(+70 kg) will step on to the tatami for Team Canada Saturday, the last day of the Cadet World Championships.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://judocanada.org/2026/08/22/anes-mati-cadet-world-champion/">Anes Mati: Cadet World Champion!</a> appeared first on <a href="https://judocanada.org">Judo Canada</a>.</p> https://welshjudo.com/in-memory-of-steve-istvan-babos/ The Welsh Judo Association is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Istvan Babos, a hugely respected figure within Newport Judo Club and the wider Welsh judo community.Steve [&#8230;] Welsh Judo Association Uncategorised https://welshjudo.com/in-memory-of-steve-istvan-babos/#respond https://welshjudo.com/?p=11821 Sat, 22 Aug 2026 09:44:28 +0000 <p class="wp-block-paragraph"><br>The Welsh Judo Association is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of <strong>Steve Istvan Babos</strong>, a hugely respected figure within Newport Judo Club and the wider Welsh judo community.<br>Steve passed away in hospital on 7 August 2026, just three weeks short of his 90th birthday, following a fall at home.<br>Born in Hungary in 1936, Steve came to the United Kingdom as a refugee at the age of 20. He moved to Newport in 1958, where he joined Newport Judo Club and began an association with the club that would span almost six decades.<br>One of Steve’s greatest competitive achievements came in 1960, when he won the <strong>Goldberg–Vass Memorial Shield</strong> at the Royal Albert Hall. The event was open to the leading blue and brown belts from across the country and was contested without weight categories, making Steve’s achievement particularly notable as one of the lightest competitors in the field.<br>In 1962, Steve was awarded his black belt by the late <strong>Alan Petherbridge</strong>, becoming one of only 50 people in the country to hold the grade at that time.<br>His contribution to judo extended far beyond his own achievements on the mat. Steve went on to become Head Coach of Newport Judo Club during the 1970s, remaining in the role for more than 50 years before his retirement in 2017.<br>Throughout those years, Steve’s greatest passion was supporting young judoka and helping them to fulfil their potential. Under his guidance, numerous members of Newport Judo Club achieved their black belts, with many going on to represent Wales.<br>In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the sport, Steve was awarded <strong>Life Membership of the Welsh Judo Association in 1978</strong>.<br>Steve leaves behind an extraordinary legacy at Newport Judo Club and within Welsh judo. Generations of judoka benefited from his knowledge, commitment and passion for the sport, and his contribution will be remembered for many years to come.<br>Steve will be greatly missed by Eirwyn, his devoted wife of more than 60 years, his family, friends and all those across the judo community who had the privilege of knowing him.<br>Everyone at the Welsh Judo Association extends their deepest sympathies to Steve’s family and friends at this very sad time.<br><br></p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"></p> https://irishjudoassociation.ie/2026/08/21/welcome-to-the-irish-judo-association-amaze-athlone-judo-club/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=welcome-to-the-irish-judo-association-amaze-athlone-judo-club Amaze Athlone Judo Club – Westmeath On behalf of the President Ms Sylvia O’Flynn, the IJA Executive Board, our clubs, and our members, we would like to welcome Amaze Athlone Judo Club to the Irish Judo Association. Head Coach Lydia Ritchie, 6th Dan, is very excited to establish a new judo club in Westmeath as [...] Irish Judo Association National Sport Ireland Women in Sport https://irishjudoassociation.ie/?p=26399 Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:14:47 +0000 <p class="x_elementToProof"><strong><u>Amaze Athlone Judo Club</u> – Westmeath</strong></p> <p class="x_elementToProof">On behalf of the President Ms Sylvia O’Flynn, the IJA Executive Board, our clubs, and our members, we would like to welcome Amaze Athlone Judo Club to the Irish Judo Association.</p> <p class="x_elementToProof">Head Coach Lydia Ritchie, 6th Dan, is very excited to establish a new judo club in Westmeath as part of the Irish Judo Association. Lydia is a well-known and highly respected figure within the judo community, working closely with the Veterans Commission and actively engaging with the Women in Sport Commission. As one of only a small number of female-led clubs within the Association, Lydia’s new club represents an exciting opportunity to strengthen female leadership at club level while supporting the growth and development of judo in Westmeath, a county that has been without a judo presence for several years.</p> <p class="x_elementToProof">We are delighted to welcome Amaze Athlone Judo Club to the Association &amp; the very best of luck to Lydia and her team in Westmeath.</p> <div></div> <div><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-26400" src="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Club-logo-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Club-logo-66x66.jpg 66w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Club-logo-150x150.jpg 150w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Club-logo-200x200.jpg 200w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Club-logo-300x300.jpg 300w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Club-logo-400x400.jpg 400w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Club-logo.jpg 447w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></div><p>The post <a href="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/2026/08/21/welcome-to-the-irish-judo-association-amaze-athlone-judo-club/">Welcome to the Irish Judo Association – Amaze Athlone Judo Club</a> first appeared on <a href="https://irishjudoassociation.ie">Irish Judo Association</a>.</p> https://judocanada.org/2026/08/21/tenacious-roman-semyrozum-earns-a-silver-medal-in-ecuador/ <p>Team Canada’s Roman Semyrozum earned himself a silver medal in the Under-60 kg division Thursday, at the Cadet World Championships in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The Montréal-based judoka ended the<span class="excerpt-hellip"> […]</span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://judocanada.org/2026/08/21/tenacious-roman-semyrozum-earns-a-silver-medal-in-ecuador/">Tenacious Roman Semyrozum earns a silver medal in Ecuador</a> appeared first on <a href="https://judocanada.org">Judo Canada</a>.</p> Judo Canada News https://judocanada.org/?p=74598 Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:08:28 +0000 <p>Team Canada’s <strong>Roman Semyrozum</strong> earned himself a silver medal in the Under-60 kg division Thursday, at the Cadet World Championships in Guayaquil, Ecuador.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260820_JudoCanada_Podium-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-74599" srcset="https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260820_JudoCanada_Podium-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260820_JudoCanada_Podium-300x200.jpg 300w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260820_JudoCanada_Podium-768x512.jpg 768w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260820_JudoCanada_Podium-391x260.jpg 391w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260820_JudoCanada_Podium-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260820_JudoCanada_Podium-112x75.jpg 112w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260820_JudoCanada_Podium-480x320.jpg 480w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260820_JudoCanada_Podium-24x16.jpg 24w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260820_JudoCanada_Podium-36x24.jpg 36w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260820_JudoCanada_Podium-48x32.jpg 48w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260820_JudoCanada_Podium.jpg 1600w" sizes="(max-width:767px) 480px, (max-width:1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <p>The Montréal-based judoka ended the day with a record of three wins and one loss. In the gold medal around, Semyrizum faced off against Rassulkhan Gabit (Kazakhstan). The bout was hard-fought by both judokas and even went into overtime, but in the end, Gabit came out on top.</p> <p>Canadian Coach&nbsp;<strong>Antoine Bouchard</strong>&nbsp;commented, “It was a pretty close final; both athletes had good chances of winning, but unfortunately, Roman wasn’t able to fully capitalize on his chances. His opponent maintained a high pace even during overtime, to force Roman’s third penalty.”</p> <p>In an earlier round, Semyrozum defeated Rafael Falcao (Brazil) in his first matchup on the tatami. The Canadian then went on to better Akhmet Baubek (Kazakhstan) and Enkhtur Jamiyan (Mongolia), two opponents who went on to win bronze medals later in the day.</p> <p>“It was a great day for Roman; he showed tremendous perseverance. He was trailing in his first two bouts, and in both cases, he kept up the pressure and picked up the pace to secure his victories. The semifinal was also a tough fight that he won on the ground.”</p> <p>In his first match of the day, also competing in the Under-60 kg weight category, Canadian&nbsp;<strong>Amir Temirbaev&nbsp;</strong>saw his day come to hasty end with a defeat by Abubakr Sattorov of Uzbekistan.</p> <p><strong>Giorgi Kurashvili</strong>&nbsp;lost to Adilzhan Nurbeken (Kazakhstan), who went on to win the silver medal in the Under-50 kg class, while&nbsp;<strong>Grayson Tamura</strong>&nbsp;was defeated by France’s Jules Back in the Under-55 kg division.</p> <p>In women’s judo competitions,&nbsp;<strong>Zoe Element</strong>&nbsp;emerged victorious in her first bout in the Under-48 kg category, where she faced Alexandra Erb (United States), before losing to Eva Moreno Torres (Spain).</p> <p><strong>Dalia Benhamou&nbsp;</strong>lostto Khulan Bayarzul of Mongolia in the Under-44 kg division.</p> <p>“We saw some very close matches, the outcomes of which were decided by the narrowest of margins, so no one was completely outclassed,” analyzed Antoine Bouchard.</p> <p>The Cadet World Championships continues tomorrow, Friday. Stayed tuned for news and results from our Canadian judokas on the tatami:&nbsp;<strong>Anes Mati</strong>&nbsp;(-66 kg) and&nbsp;<strong>Jonas Nelissen</strong>&nbsp;(-73 kg),&nbsp;<strong>Leiya Chiasson</strong>&nbsp;(-52 kg),&nbsp;<strong>Nicole Daria Manaila</strong>&nbsp;(-57 kg),&nbsp;<strong>Emma Tritton</strong>&nbsp;(-57 kg),&nbsp;<strong>Victoria Summers</strong>&nbsp;(-63 kg) and&nbsp;<strong>Presley Tompkins</strong>&nbsp;(-63 kg).</p> <p>The post <a href="https://judocanada.org/2026/08/21/tenacious-roman-semyrozum-earns-a-silver-medal-in-ecuador/">Tenacious Roman Semyrozum earns a silver medal in Ecuador</a> appeared first on <a href="https://judocanada.org">Judo Canada</a>.</p> https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ykdPeWpBLQY Chadi https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ykdPeWpBLQY Thu, 20 Aug 2026 15:15:03 +0000 2026-08-21T07:14:28Z https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdaodyegSA4 Chadi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdaodyegSA4 Wed, 19 Aug 2026 13:00:06 +0000 2026-08-20T12:55:13Z https://judocanada.org/2026/08/19/catherine-toshkov-adds-a-silver-medal-to-her-collection/ <p> Over the past year, Catherine Toshkov has enjoyed success in various continental open judo tournaments. After winning four consecutive bronze medals in the aforementioned events, the Montréaler reached<span class="excerpt-hellip"> […]</span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://judocanada.org/2026/08/19/catherine-toshkov-adds-a-silver-medal-to-her-collection/">Catherine Toshkov adds a silver medal to her collection</a> appeared first on <a href="https://judocanada.org">Judo Canada</a>.</p> Judo Canada News https://judocanada.org/?p=74591 Wed, 19 Aug 2026 12:41:08 +0000 <p> Over the past year, <strong>Catherine Toshkov</strong> has enjoyed success in various continental open judo tournaments. After winning four consecutive bronze medals in the aforementioned events, the Montréaler reached a new milestone Tuesday, with a silver medal finish in the Under-63 kg division at the Lima Panamerican Open in Peru.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="701" src="https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260818_toshkov-1024x701.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-74592" srcset="https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260818_toshkov-1024x701.jpeg 1024w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260818_toshkov-300x205.jpeg 300w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260818_toshkov-768x525.jpeg 768w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260818_toshkov-474x324.jpeg 474w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260818_toshkov-110x75.jpeg 110w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260818_toshkov-480x328.jpeg 480w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260818_toshkov-24x16.jpeg 24w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260818_toshkov-36x25.jpeg 36w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260818_toshkov-48x33.jpeg 48w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260818_toshkov.jpeg 1200w" sizes="(max-width:767px) 480px, (max-width:1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <p>In the final match, the Québecois athlete faced two-time Olympian Anriquelis Barrios (Venezuela); Barrios has defeated the Canadian last Friday in the repechage at the Lima Judo Grand Prix. Yet again, the match was fiercely contested, but Barrios’ yuko ultimately made all the difference after four-minute regulation time.</p> <p>“Barrios has a lot of experience, and following their matchup last week, we decided to put together a new game plan for Catherine that very nearly worked. She did well, but there’s still work to be done. All things considered though, she can be proud of her performance today, and of course her medal,” noted Canadian Coach&nbsp;<strong>Janusz Pawlowski</strong>.</p> <p>Toshkov spent some quality time on the tatami in order to reach the final in her weight class Tuesday. First on her proverbial dance card was Chile’s Isidora Palma, whom she defeated, before moving on to defeat Colombia’s Cindy Mera in the next match-up. In the semifinals, Toshkov fought a marathon bout against Yana Makretskaya of Belarus, winning after more than seven minutes of combat.</p> <p><strong>Frédérique Lavigne&nbsp;</strong>also ended her day on the podium with a bronze medal finish in the Over-78 kg division. After an opening-round loss to Colombia’s Brigitte Carabali, Lavigne made a brilliant comeback in the bronze-medal match, where she made quick work of bettering Amanda Bredeston (Argentina) in a mere 30 seconds.</p> <p>“Frédérique was very decisive today, securing a chokehold within the first few seconds of her last bout. She was facing a less experienced opponent, and in my opinion, she was bound to win that way. I can’t wait to see more from her,” added the coach.</p> <p><strong>Coralie Godbout</strong>&nbsp;competed for a medal in the Under-78 kg division, but was defeated by Lithuania’s Migle Julija Dudenaite in her final match of the day, which went into overtime.</p> <p>As for&nbsp;<strong>Ekaterina Danilkov</strong>&nbsp;(-48 kg), she finished fifth in her weight class, after losing the bronze medal round to Panama’s Nemesis Candelon;&nbsp;<strong>Evelyn Beaton</strong>&nbsp;ended her day in seventh place in the Under-52-kg division.</p> <p>On the men’s tatami,&nbsp;<strong>Guillaume Gaulin</strong>&nbsp;(-90 kg) reached the bronze medal match in his weight class, where he unfortunately lost to Toni Miletic (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Leading up to the bronze medal match, Gaulin had defeated Bearach Gleeson (Ireland) and Jeremias Fernandez (Argentina), before suffering a loss in the semifinals to Oleksandr Nyzhnykh (United States).</p> <p><strong>Olivier Gagnon</strong>&nbsp;(-81 kg) and&nbsp;<strong>Keagan Young</strong>&nbsp;(-90 kg) both earned seventh place in their respective classes Tuesday. Lastly,&nbsp;<strong>Félix Mercier-Ross</strong>&nbsp;(-73 kg) was bested in his first bout on the tatami against Guatemala’s Hector Nolasco Guerra.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://judocanada.org/2026/08/19/catherine-toshkov-adds-a-silver-medal-to-her-collection/">Catherine Toshkov adds a silver medal to her collection</a> appeared first on <a href="https://judocanada.org">Judo Canada</a>.</p> https://irishjudoassociation.ie/2026/08/17/women-in-sport-participation-coaching-valencia-training-camp-august-2026/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=women-in-sport-participation-coaching-valencia-training-camp-august-2026 The Irish Judo Association, through its Women in Sport Commission, was delighted to support female coaches in gaining valuable international coaching experience at the Valencia Training Camp in Spain in August 2026. For Iwona Osenkowska, a Level 2 coach currently working towards IJF Academy UCJI status, and Grainne Murphy, a Level 1 coach, the camp [...] Irish Judo Association National Sport Ireland Women in Sport https://irishjudoassociation.ie/?p=26362 Mon, 17 Aug 2026 10:22:33 +0000 <p>The Irish Judo Association, through its Women in Sport Commission, was delighted to support female coaches in gaining valuable international coaching experience at the Valencia Training Camp in Spain in August 2026.</p> <p><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-26363" src="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Iwona-Grainne-with-IJA-female-participants-300x200.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Iwona-Grainne-with-IJA-female-participants-200x133.jpeg 200w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Iwona-Grainne-with-IJA-female-participants-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Iwona-Grainne-with-IJA-female-participants-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Iwona-Grainne-with-IJA-female-participants-500x333.jpeg 500w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Iwona-Grainne-with-IJA-female-participants-600x400.jpeg 600w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Iwona-Grainne-with-IJA-female-participants-700x467.jpeg 700w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Iwona-Grainne-with-IJA-female-participants-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Iwona-Grainne-with-IJA-female-participants-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Iwona-Grainne-with-IJA-female-participants-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Iwona-Grainne-with-IJA-female-participants-1200x800.jpeg 1200w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Iwona-Grainne-with-IJA-female-participants-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></p> <p style="text-align: left;">For Iwona Osenkowska, a Level 2 coach currently working towards IJF Academy UCJI status, and Grainne Murphy, a Level 1 coach, the camp provided an excellent opportunity to further develop their coaching skills, broaden their experience and gain valuable insight in an international training environment.</p> <p><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-26365" src="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Grainne-Iwona-1-206x300.jpeg" alt="" width="206" height="300" srcset="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Grainne-Iwona-1-200x291.jpeg 200w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Grainne-Iwona-1-206x300.jpeg 206w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Grainne-Iwona-1-400x581.jpeg 400w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Grainne-Iwona-1-500x726.jpeg 500w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Grainne-Iwona-1-600x872.jpeg 600w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Grainne-Iwona-1-700x1017.jpeg 700w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Grainne-Iwona-1-705x1024.jpeg 705w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Grainne-Iwona-1-768x1116.jpeg 768w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Grainne-Iwona-1-800x1162.jpeg 800w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Grainne-Iwona-1.jpeg 934w" sizes="(max-width: 206px) 100vw, 206px" /></p> <p>For our female athletes from across the country, the Valencia Training Camp provided a valuable opportunity to develop their skills, challenge themselves in a high-level training environment and gain important experience to support future competition preparation. Beyond the mat, the camp also allowed the girls to build confidence, strengthen friendships and create lasting connections with fellow judoka as they continue their Journey in Judo.</p> <p><img decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-26367" src="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/on-the-mat-203x300.jpeg" alt="" width="157" height="232" srcset="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/on-the-mat-200x295.jpeg 200w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/on-the-mat-203x300.jpeg 203w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/on-the-mat-400x590.jpeg 400w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/on-the-mat-500x737.jpeg 500w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/on-the-mat.jpeg 504w" sizes="(max-width: 157px) 100vw, 157px" /> <img decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-26368" src="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/taking-a-break-179x300.jpeg" alt="" width="137" height="230" srcset="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/taking-a-break-179x300.jpeg 179w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/taking-a-break-200x335.jpeg 200w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/taking-a-break-400x671.jpeg 400w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/taking-a-break-500x839.jpeg 500w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/taking-a-break-600x1006.jpeg 600w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/taking-a-break-610x1024.jpeg 610w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/taking-a-break-700x1174.jpeg 700w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/taking-a-break.jpeg 747w" sizes="(max-width: 137px) 100vw, 137px" /> <img decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-26369" src="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/this-is-how-you-do-it-163x300.jpeg" alt="" width="124" height="229" srcset="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/this-is-how-you-do-it-163x300.jpeg 163w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/this-is-how-you-do-it-200x369.jpeg 200w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/this-is-how-you-do-it-400x738.jpeg 400w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/this-is-how-you-do-it-500x922.jpeg 500w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/this-is-how-you-do-it-555x1024.jpeg 555w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/this-is-how-you-do-it-600x1107.jpeg 600w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/this-is-how-you-do-it-700x1291.jpeg 700w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/this-is-how-you-do-it-768x1416.jpeg 768w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/this-is-how-you-do-it-800x1476.jpeg 800w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/this-is-how-you-do-it-833x1536.jpeg 833w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/this-is-how-you-do-it.jpeg 874w" sizes="(max-width: 124px) 100vw, 124px" /></p> <p>There is also lots of time for birthday cake and relaxation!!</p> <p><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-26370" src="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/birthday-celebrations-293x300.jpeg" alt="" width="293" height="300" srcset="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/birthday-celebrations-200x205.jpeg 200w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/birthday-celebrations-293x300.jpeg 293w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/birthday-celebrations-400x410.jpeg 400w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/birthday-celebrations-500x512.jpeg 500w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/birthday-celebrations-600x615.jpeg 600w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/birthday-celebrations-700x717.jpeg 700w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/birthday-celebrations-768x787.jpeg 768w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/birthday-celebrations-800x819.jpeg 800w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/birthday-celebrations-1000x1024.jpeg 1000w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/birthday-celebrations-1200x1229.jpeg 1200w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/birthday-celebrations.jpeg 1482w" sizes="(max-width: 293px) 100vw, 293px" /> <img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-26371" src="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/relaxing-in-hotel-298x300.jpeg" alt="" width="298" height="300" srcset="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/relaxing-in-hotel-66x66.jpeg 66w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/relaxing-in-hotel-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/relaxing-in-hotel-200x200.jpeg 200w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/relaxing-in-hotel-298x300.jpeg 298w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/relaxing-in-hotel-400x403.jpeg 400w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/relaxing-in-hotel-500x504.jpeg 500w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/relaxing-in-hotel-600x605.jpeg 600w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/relaxing-in-hotel-700x706.jpeg 700w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/relaxing-in-hotel-768x774.jpeg 768w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/relaxing-in-hotel-800x806.jpeg 800w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/relaxing-in-hotel-1016x1024.jpeg 1016w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/relaxing-in-hotel-1200x1210.jpeg 1200w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/relaxing-in-hotel.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 298px) 100vw, 298px" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p><p>The post <a href="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/2026/08/17/women-in-sport-participation-coaching-valencia-training-camp-august-2026/">Women in Sport – Participation & Coaching Valencia Training Camp August 2026</a> first appeared on <a href="https://irishjudoassociation.ie">Irish Judo Association</a>.</p> https://judocanada.org/2026/08/17/keagan-young-a-first-ever-grand-prix-top-5/ <p>In a hard-fought bout, Keagan Young had a bronze medal slip through his fingers on Sunday, the final day of the Lima Grand Prix in Peru. Facing off<span class="excerpt-hellip"> […]</span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://judocanada.org/2026/08/17/keagan-young-a-first-ever-grand-prix-top-5/">Keagan Young: a first-ever Grand Prix top 5</a> appeared first on <a href="https://judocanada.org">Judo Canada</a>.</p> Judo Canada News https://judocanada.org/?p=74580 Mon, 17 Aug 2026 12:53:33 +0000 <p>In a hard-fought bout, <strong>Keagan Young</strong> had a bronze medal slip through his fingers on Sunday, the final day of the Lima Grand Prix in Peru. Facing off against Brazil’s Guilherme Schimidt for the first time ever in his career, the Ontarian judoka was defeated by yuko after 21 seconds of overtime in his bout in the Under-90-kg division. While Young finished the day in fifth place, it was his best-ever result at a Grand Prix tournament.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260816JudoCanada-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-74581" srcset="https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260816JudoCanada-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260816JudoCanada-300x200.jpg 300w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260816JudoCanada-768x512.jpg 768w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260816JudoCanada-391x260.jpg 391w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260816JudoCanada-113x75.jpg 113w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260816JudoCanada-480x320.jpg 480w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260816JudoCanada-24x16.jpg 24w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260816JudoCanada-36x24.jpg 36w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260816JudoCanada-48x32.jpg 48w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260816JudoCanada.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width:767px) 480px, (max-width:1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <p>“It was a close duel,” noted national coach&nbsp;<strong>Antoine Valois-Fortier</strong>&nbsp;of his athlete’s bronze-medal match. “Really, it could have gone either way, and unfortunately, Keagan didn’t make it onto the podium. However, he had his best day ever at this level, so he can be satisfied with himself &#8211; he earned points, and it was a positive day in many ways. He’ll continue to improve his hand positioning and gain experience. This is only the beginning of his Grand Prix career and he’s still learning the ropes.”</p> <p>Also on the tatami Sunday were Québecois athletes&nbsp;<strong>Coralie Godbout</strong>&nbsp;(-78 kg),&nbsp;<strong>Frédérique Lavigne</strong>&nbsp;(+78 kg), and&nbsp;<strong>Guillaume Gaulin</strong>&nbsp;(-90 kg). Unfortunately, all three suffered defeats in their only bouts of the day, and as a result did not receive rankings.</p> <p>Prior to his final match for a bronze, Young won his repechage against American Oleksandr Nyzhnyké. Young and Nyzhnyké have something of an athletic past, having met each other on the tatami three times already since the start of Young’s career; each time, the Canadian has emerged victorious. Previous to the aforementioned match-up, the Ontario judoka defeated Lachlan Moorhead (England) and Alexander Knauf (U.S.A) in quick succession, before being defeated himself in overtime by Belarusian Yahor Varapayeu.</p> <p>Young had been absent from the international stage for some time, owing to persistent injuries.</p> <p>Coach Valois-Fortier explained why today’s top-five ranking is meaningful for Young, “Now he’s stringing together weeks in training and competition and staying healthy, which in turn enables him to gain the experience he needs. So, the pieces are coming together for him to make some progress. [&#8230;] He’s proven he can compete with the best and fight for a medal. That’s going to give him confidence.”</p> <p>Team Canada finished the Lima Judo Grand Prix with two medals: a silver won by&nbsp;<strong>François Gauthier</strong>&#8211;<strong>Drapeau</strong>&nbsp;in the Under-81 kg category, and a bronze earned by&nbsp;<strong>Laurence Biron</strong>&nbsp;in the Under-63 kg category.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://judocanada.org/2026/08/17/keagan-young-a-first-ever-grand-prix-top-5/">Keagan Young: a first-ever Grand Prix top 5</a> appeared first on <a href="https://judocanada.org">Judo Canada</a>.</p> https://www.youtube.com/shorts/_Dy5T0HO5jI Chadi https://www.youtube.com/shorts/_Dy5T0HO5jI Sun, 16 Aug 2026 18:00:39 +0000 2026-08-17T09:49:36Z https://judocanada.org/2026/08/16/francois-gauthier-drapeau-gets-acquainted-with-the-podium-once-more-this-time-in-lima/ <p>François Gauthier-Drapeau took advantage of his participation at the Lima Judo Grand Prix in Peru, to add another medal to his collection. Gauthier-Drapeau claimed silver in the<span class="excerpt-hellip"> […]</span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://judocanada.org/2026/08/16/francois-gauthier-drapeau-gets-acquainted-with-the-podium-once-more-this-time-in-lima/">François Gauthier-Drapeau gets acquainted with the podium once more &#8211; this time in Lima</a> appeared first on <a href="https://judocanada.org">Judo Canada</a>.</p> Judo Canada News https://judocanada.org/?p=74573 Sun, 16 Aug 2026 16:02:29 +0000 <p><strong>François Gauthier-Drapeau</strong> took advantage of his participation at the Lima Judo Grand Prix in Peru, to add another medal to his collection. Gauthier-Drapeau claimed silver in the Under-81 kg division, where he lost in the final to David Lima (Brazil). Despite a disappointing outcome of that final bout, the Québecois athlete was pleased to return to the international podium.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260815_GauthierDrapeau_IJF_EmanueleDiFeliciantonio-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-74574" srcset="https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260815_GauthierDrapeau_IJF_EmanueleDiFeliciantonio-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260815_GauthierDrapeau_IJF_EmanueleDiFeliciantonio-300x200.jpg 300w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260815_GauthierDrapeau_IJF_EmanueleDiFeliciantonio-768x512.jpg 768w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260815_GauthierDrapeau_IJF_EmanueleDiFeliciantonio-391x260.jpg 391w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260815_GauthierDrapeau_IJF_EmanueleDiFeliciantonio-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260815_GauthierDrapeau_IJF_EmanueleDiFeliciantonio-112x75.jpg 112w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260815_GauthierDrapeau_IJF_EmanueleDiFeliciantonio-480x320.jpg 480w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260815_GauthierDrapeau_IJF_EmanueleDiFeliciantonio-24x16.jpg 24w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260815_GauthierDrapeau_IJF_EmanueleDiFeliciantonio-36x24.jpg 36w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260815_GauthierDrapeau_IJF_EmanueleDiFeliciantonio-48x32.jpg 48w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/20260815_GauthierDrapeau_IJF_EmanueleDiFeliciantonio.jpg 1600w" sizes="(max-width:767px) 480px, (max-width:1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <p>“It may be heartbreaking to lose in the final, but I have to admit that earning a medal feels good! It had been a while since I’d been on the podium, and I’m happy I managed to do it today,” Gauthier-Drapeau remarked after the final, which ended with a yuko in favour of his opponent at the end of the four-minute bout. “It was kind of a tough way to end the competition &#8211; I wasn’t really able to attack effectively against my opponent. I got countered and wasn’t able to come back,” he analysed.</p> <p>The gold medal round was the fifth bout of the day for the Paris Games Olympian, who faced his fair share of challenges before reaching the gold medal final, including winning two bouts in overtime.</p> <p>“It was a big day, and I had a few tough matches. Overall it just demonstrated to me that I need to correct a few small things, but also that I’ve improved some key aspects of my judo. I’m happy with the work I’ve done and, above all, very happy to be coming home with a medal!” he concluded.</p> <p><strong>Laurence Biron’s medal streak continues</strong></p> <p>Fresh off her gold medal win at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games,&nbsp;<strong>Laurence Biron</strong>&nbsp;also stepped onto the podium for Team Canada Saturday, winning one of the two bronze medal matches in the Under-63 kg weight class.</p> <p>After an ippon victory over Yana Makretskaya (Belarus) in the repechage, the Québec judoka was set to face Brazilian Rafaela Silva, a formidable opponent, ranked third in the world, a 2016 Olympic gold medalist (-57 kg), and a multiple-time world champion.</p> <p>However, in an unusual turn of events, Silva was disqualified following her semifinal match. As a result, the bronze medal went directly to Biron, who consequently claimed her inaugural Grand Prix podium finish.</p> <p>“I’m really, really happy with my medal! Of course you always love to finish with a victory and a big impressive ippon, but looking at the big picture, I had a very good day and I’m proud of my performance,” noted the 22-year-old athlete, who suffered her only loss of the day in the quarterfinals at the hands of Spain’s Ariela Sanchez Benitez.</p> <p>Buoyed by this, her fourth consecutive podium finish in international senior competition, Biron now hopes to build on her achievements and continue her athletic evolution in the Under-63-kg division. This September, Biron will have the chance to compete in her very first Grand Slam in in Budapest, Hungary.</p> <p>“I’m on a roll right now, and I’m really gaining more and more confidence in my abilities. I’m surrounded by a great support system, and I truly feel that I’m capable of performing at a higher level than before. Competing against athletes like the ones I faced today gives me so much more confidence, and I can’t wait to experience my first Grand Slam,” she concluded.</p> <p>Also competing in the women’s Under-63 kg division,&nbsp;<strong>Catherine Toshkov</strong>&nbsp;suffered a loss in the third round against the day’s eventual silver medalist, Laura Fernandez Vazquez (Spain). In the repechage against Venezuela’s Anriquelis Barrios, Toshkov experienced a second loss, which then relegated her to seventh place in the standings; ahead of Barrios on the podium was Japan’s Seiko Watanabe, who dominated the category.</p> <p>On the men’s tatami,<strong>&nbsp;Olivier Gagnon</strong>&nbsp;(-81 kg), saw his day come to an end in the second round against Serbia’s Vasilije Grujici, the latter winning the match by waza-ari.</p> <p>The only other Canadian in action on Saturday was Montréal’s&nbsp;<strong>Félix Mercier-Ross</strong>, who was unable to secure a victory in his Under-73 kg category.</p> <p>The Lima Judo Grand Prix comes to a close tomorrow, Sunday, with bouts scheduled in five divisions. Stepping onto the tatami for Team Canada will be:&nbsp;<strong>Coralie Godbout</strong>&nbsp;(-78 kg),&nbsp;<strong>Frédérique Lavigne</strong>&nbsp;(+78 kg),&nbsp;<strong>Guillaume Gaulin&nbsp;</strong>(-90 kg) and&nbsp;<strong>Keagan Young</strong>&nbsp;(-90 kg), so stayed tuned for more judo excitement.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://judocanada.org/2026/08/16/francois-gauthier-drapeau-gets-acquainted-with-the-podium-once-more-this-time-in-lima/">François Gauthier-Drapeau gets acquainted with the podium once more &#8211; this time in Lima</a> appeared first on <a href="https://judocanada.org">Judo Canada</a>.</p> https://judocanada.org/2026/08/16/julien-frascadore-seventh-in-peru/ <p>Julien Frascadore (-66 kg) was the only Canadian judoka to see the day’s end with a ranking—seventh place—on the first day of the Lima Grand Prix on<span class="excerpt-hellip"> […]</span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://judocanada.org/2026/08/16/julien-frascadore-seventh-in-peru/">Julien Frascadore seventh in Peru</a> appeared first on <a href="https://judocanada.org">Judo Canada</a>.</p> Judo Canada News https://judocanada.org/?p=74566 Sun, 16 Aug 2026 15:53:56 +0000 <p><strong>Julien Frascadore</strong> (-66 kg) was the only Canadian judoka to see the day’s end with a ranking—seventh place—on the first day of the Lima Grand Prix on Friday in Peru. The Québecois athlete ended their day with a record of 2 wins and 2 losses.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="682" src="https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Frascadore_Julien_Lima25_IJF-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-74567" srcset="https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Frascadore_Julien_Lima25_IJF-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Frascadore_Julien_Lima25_IJF-300x200.jpg 300w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Frascadore_Julien_Lima25_IJF-768x511.jpg 768w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Frascadore_Julien_Lima25_IJF-391x260.jpg 391w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Frascadore_Julien_Lima25_IJF-113x75.jpg 113w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Frascadore_Julien_Lima25_IJF-480x320.jpg 480w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Frascadore_Julien_Lima25_IJF-24x16.jpg 24w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Frascadore_Julien_Lima25_IJF-36x24.jpg 36w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Frascadore_Julien_Lima25_IJF-48x32.jpg 48w, https://static.judocanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Frascadore_Julien_Lima25_IJF.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width:767px) 480px, (max-width:1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <p>A silver medalist at this same tournament last year, the 26-year-old judoka needed overtime to defeat his first opponent, Willis Garcia (Venezuela), by ippon—notably clocking his first victory over Garcia in three career matchups. As a result of the win, Frascadore advanced to the next round, where he had an easy victory over Ignacio Freggiaro (Argentina.)</p> <p>Frascadore was a gold medalist, and closing ceremony flag-bearer for Team Canada at the recent Glasgow Commonwealth Games, but the third bout on the tatami Friday proved to be a less glamourous outing. The Canadian faced off against Denis Vieru (Moldova), himself a bronze medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Vieru claimed victory with a win by ippon.</p> <p>In the repechage, Frascadore was unable to find his way back to winning ways, and lost by yuko to Portugal’s Miguel Nery Gago after just under a minute of overtime.</p> <p>Regarding his protégé’s third bout against eventual silver medalist Vieru, Canadian coach&nbsp;<strong>Antoine Valois-Fortier</strong>&nbsp;acknowledged, “The Moldovan was a tough opponent. In my opinion, Julien was well ahead &#8211; he scored a point right in the first round and was controlling the match well, but he made a mistake and got countered.”</p> <p>Valois-Fortier noted “(In the repechage), again, I thought Julien was doing well and was setting the pace of the bout. Then there was a controversial call that could have gone either way, and unfortunately it went his opponent’s way. It was a bit of a frustrating day for Julien, because we all felt he had what it takes to go far today.”</p> <p>Team Canada’s women had a difficult day Friday, with all judokas sadly losing their first matches.&nbsp;<strong>Evelyn</strong>&nbsp;<strong>Beaton</strong>&nbsp;(-52 kg) of Alberta came the closest to advancing to the next round, in her bout against Brazil’s Rafaela Rodrigues. The match was more like a marathon, and lasted over a whopping 10 minutes, but the 21-year-old Canuck was defeated by her opponent’s waza-ari – the latter of whom ended her day on the first step of the podium.</p> <p>“It was a very close match with some ground work. Evelyn tried out a move toward the end, and took a risk, but unfortunately she was thrown,” added the coach.</p> <p>In the Under-48-kg division, Québec’s&nbsp;<strong>Heidi Quach</strong>&nbsp;lost to England’s Ashleigh Barnikel. As for British Columbia’s&nbsp;<strong>Ekaterina Danilkov</strong>&nbsp;(-48 kg), she lost to Colombia’s Erika Lasso.</p> <p>Tomorrow is another day, and more chances for Canadian judokas to shine.&nbsp;<strong>Catherine Toshko</strong>v (-63 kg),&nbsp;<strong>Laurence Biron</strong>&nbsp;(-63 kg),&nbsp;<strong>Félix Mercier-Ross</strong>&nbsp;(-73 kg),&nbsp;<strong>Justin Lemire</strong>&nbsp;(-73 kg),&nbsp;<strong>Olivier Gagnon</strong>&nbsp;(-81 kg) and&nbsp;<strong>François Gauthier-Drapeau</strong>&nbsp;(-81 kg) are the Team Canada judokas who will step on the tatami Saturday in the Peruvian capital. Stay tuned for more judo updates, results, and athleticism.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://judocanada.org/2026/08/16/julien-frascadore-seventh-in-peru/">Julien Frascadore seventh in Peru</a> appeared first on <a href="https://judocanada.org">Judo Canada</a>.</p> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEV_w325_MY Chadi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEV_w325_MY Sat, 15 Aug 2026 14:00:23 +0000 2026-08-15T14:01:24Z https://irishjudoassociation.ie/2026/08/14/new-club-venue-coming-soon-in-clondalkin/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-club-venue-coming-soon-in-clondalkin The IJA is happy to announce that Higashi club will be opening a new venue in Clondalkin at the start of September, 2026. The address of the new facility is The Ninth Lock Centre, Ninth Lock Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, D22NN84 For any further information regarding the timetable of the classes, or the fees, please [...] Irish Judo Association National https://irishjudoassociation.ie/?p=26354 Fri, 14 Aug 2026 08:43:29 +0000 <p>The IJA is happy to announce that Higashi club will be opening a new venue in Clondalkin at the start of<span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody"> September, 2026.</span></p> <p>The address of the new facility is The Ninth Lock Centre, Ninth Lock Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, D22NN84</p> <p>For any further information regarding the timetable of the classes, or the fees, please contact Ivan Deliu at 087 613 0118</p><p>The post <a href="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/2026/08/14/new-club-venue-coming-soon-in-clondalkin/">New club venue coming soon in Clondalkin</a> first appeared on <a href="https://irishjudoassociation.ie">Irish Judo Association</a>.</p> https://irishjudoassociation.ie/2026/08/12/chief-executive-officer-announcement-irish-judo-association/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chief-executive-officer-announcement-irish-judo-association Irish Judo Association Appoints Yvan Cebenka as Chief Executive Officer The Irish Judo Association is delighted to announce the appointment of Yvan Cebenka as its new Chief Executive Officer. Following a comprehensive and highly competitive recruitment process, which attracted many high-calibre applicants, Yvan was unanimously selected by the interview panel and has formally accepted the [...] Irish Judo Association National https://irishjudoassociation.ie/?p=26344 Wed, 12 Aug 2026 10:55:33 +0000 <p><strong>Irish Judo Association Appoints Yvan Cebenka as Chief Executive Officer</strong></p> <p>The Irish Judo Association is delighted to announce the appointment of Yvan Cebenka as its new Chief Executive Officer.</p> <p>Following a comprehensive and highly competitive recruitment process, which attracted many high-calibre applicants, Yvan was unanimously selected by the interview panel and has formally accepted the position.</p> <p>Yvan joins the Irish Judo Association from the world of Rugby, bringing extensive experience in sports leadership, strategic planning, governance and organisational development. Throughout the recruitment process, he impressed the panel with his vision, integrity and collaborative leadership style, together with a clear understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing Irish Judo.</p> <p>The Board believes Yvan&#8217;s experience, energy and commitment will play a key role in supporting the continued development of the Association as it builds on recent progress and looks to the future with confidence.</p> <p><strong>Welcoming the appointment, Sylvia O&#8217;Flynn, President of the Irish Judo Association, said:</strong></p> <p>&#8220;I am absolutely delighted to welcome Yvan as the Irish Judo Association&#8217;s new Chief Executive Officer. From our very first meeting, it was clear that Yvan possesses the leadership qualities, strategic insight and enthusiasm that this role demands. Throughout the interview process, he demonstrated a genuine passion for developing sport, supporting volunteers and building strong relationships. His vision for the future of Irish Judo aligns closely with the ambitions of our Board.</p> <p>This appointment marks an exciting new chapter for the Association. Personally, I am delighted to be working together with Yvan for the betterment of Irish Judo, and I have every confidence that, together with our Board, staff and volunteers, we can continue to grow and strengthen our sport across Ireland and create even more opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy judo”.</p> <p><strong> Commenting on his appointment, Yvan Cebenka said:</strong></p> <p>&#8220;I am honoured to be appointed as the first Chief Executive of the Irish Judo Association. I look forward to working closely with President Sylvia, the Board, the clubs and their members, staff and volunteers to build on the Association&#8217;s strong foundations and further develop Irish Judo both across the island of Ireland and on the international stage.</p> <p>As I prepare to take up this role, I have reflected on my own introduction to judo as a young Judoka at my local club. That experience gave me a first-hand appreciation of the unique values and life skills that Judo instils.</p> <p>More than just a sport, Judo develops confidence, courage, respect, resilience and a strong sense of community. I am excited to work with my colleagues to promote these values, grow participation, and dedicate my energy to supporting the continued success and development of Irish Judo”.</p> <p>The creation of the Chief Executive Officer role represents a significant milestone in the continued development of the Irish Judo Association. It reflects the Association&#8217;s commitment to strengthening governance, enhancing organisational capacity and providing the leadership needed to deliver its long-term strategic ambitions.</p> <p><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-26346" src="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Yvan-Cebenka.jpg" alt="" width="273" height="250" srcset="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Yvan-Cebenka-200x183.jpg 200w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Yvan-Cebenka.jpg 273w" sizes="(max-width: 273px) 100vw, 273px" /></p> <p><strong>CEO Irish Judo Association &#8211; Mr Yvan Cebenka</strong></p><p>The post <a href="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/2026/08/12/chief-executive-officer-announcement-irish-judo-association/">Chief Executive Officer Announcement – Irish Judo Association</a> first appeared on <a href="https://irishjudoassociation.ie">Irish Judo Association</a>.</p> https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ek87lgaFqzA Chadi https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ek87lgaFqzA Tue, 11 Aug 2026 15:30:24 +0000 2026-08-15T17:53:09Z https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JIl6HPGZ14k Chadi https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JIl6HPGZ14k Sun, 9 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000 2026-08-16T14:55:54Z https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My2rwjYri2U Chadi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My2rwjYri2U Thu, 6 Aug 2026 14:00:06 +0000 2026-08-10T01:05:54Z https://irishjudoassociation.ie/2026/07/29/best-of-luck-to-joshua-commonwealth-games-2026/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=best-of-luck-to-joshua-commonwealth-games-2026 Joshua Green - Commonwealth Games 2026 - Glasgow The Irish Judo Association sends the best of luck to Joshua Green as he competes in the Men's U73kg category at the Commonwealth Games 2026 being hosted in Glasgow. We wish Joshua and coach Paul (proud father) the very best for the event which starts on Saturday [...] Irish Judo Association International National https://irishjudoassociation.ie/?p=26333 Wed, 29 Jul 2026 14:15:36 +0000 <p><strong>Joshua Green &#8211; Commonwealth Games 2026 &#8211; Glasgow</strong></p> <p>The Irish Judo Association sends the best of luck to Joshua Green as he competes in the Men&#8217;s U73kg category at the Commonwealth Games 2026 being hosted in Glasgow.</p> <p>We wish Joshua and coach Paul (proud father) the very best for the event which starts on Saturday the 1st August 2026.</p> <div id="attachment_26334" style="width: 210px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26334" class="size-medium wp-image-26334" src="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/1EDF4020-1618319505-1618319505-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" srcset="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/1EDF4020-1618319505-1618319505-200x300.jpg 200w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/1EDF4020-1618319505-1618319505-400x600.jpg 400w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/1EDF4020-1618319505-1618319505-500x750.jpg 500w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/1EDF4020-1618319505-1618319505-600x900.jpg 600w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/1EDF4020-1618319505-1618319505-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/1EDF4020-1618319505-1618319505-700x1050.jpg 700w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/1EDF4020-1618319505-1618319505-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/1EDF4020-1618319505-1618319505-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/1EDF4020-1618319505-1618319505-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/1EDF4020-1618319505-1618319505-1200x1800.jpg 1200w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/1EDF4020-1618319505-1618319505-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/1EDF4020-1618319505-1618319505-scaled.jpg 1707w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" /><p id="caption-attachment-26334" class="wp-caption-text">Joshua Green IRL</p></div> <p>Photo Credit: Di Feliciantonio Emanuele</p><p>The post <a href="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/2026/07/29/best-of-luck-to-joshua-commonwealth-games-2026/">Best of Luck to Joshua – Commonwealth Games 2026</a> first appeared on <a href="https://irishjudoassociation.ie">Irish Judo Association</a>.</p> https://irishjudoassociation.ie/2026/07/29/ija-grading-commission-policy-update/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ija-grading-commission-policy-update Grading Commission Policy Update Following a review of the current grading system, the Grading Commission has approved a number of changes to the grading requirements. These changes are intended to ensure greater consistency in the awarding of grading wins and points and will apply as outlined below. 2nd and 3rd Kyu Effective immediately: All candidates [...] Irish Judo Association National https://irishjudoassociation.ie/?p=26328 Wed, 29 Jul 2026 14:00:42 +0000 <p><strong>Grading Commission Policy Update</strong></p> <p>Following a review of the current grading system, the Grading Commission has approved a number of changes to the grading requirements. These changes are intended to ensure greater consistency in the awarding of grading wins and points and will apply as outlined below.</p> <p><strong>2nd and 3rd Kyu</strong></p> <p>Effective immediately:</p> <ul data-spread="false"> <li>All candidates must attend the National Gradings to obtain their two required wins.</li> <li>The theory component may still be completed in advance of the National Grading with an appointed Senior Grader.</li> <li>Exceptions will only be considered for players who achieve qualifying wins at recognised international events. In such cases, the relevant pool sheet must be submitted to the Grading Commissioner for consideration. All international wins are subject to approval by the Grading Commission.</li> </ul> <p><strong>1st Kyu</strong></p> <p>The following events are the only competitions in Ireland at which 1st Kyu and Dan grades may earn grading points:</p> <ol start="1" data-spread="false"> <li>All Irelands</li> <li>Northern Ireland Open</li> <li>Irish Open Veterans</li> <li>Galway Open</li> </ol> <p>The following events may also be approved as grading events, subject to sufficient entry numbers and prior approval by the Grading Commission:</p> <ul data-spread="false"> <li>Leinster Open</li> <li>Munster Open</li> <li>West of Ireland Open</li> <li>Intervarsities</li> </ul> <p>Judoka may also continue to earn grading points at recognised international events in the United Kingdom and other approved international competitions.</p> <p><strong>Under 16 Competitors</strong></p> <p>The Grading Commission has reviewed its previous decision regarding Under 16 competitors and has agreed that judoka aged 14 and 15 may once again participate in the National Gradings.</p> <p>Wherever possible, these competitors will be matched only against Under 18 judoka.</p> <p>The Grading Commission thanks all clubs, coaches and members for their continued support and cooperation in implementing these revised grading requirements.</p> <p><strong>Sent on behalf of Harry McGuigan IJA Grading Commission &amp; Tim Kelly IJA Executive Committee.</strong></p> <div></div> <div><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-25898" src="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/judo-logo-950sh-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/judo-logo-950sh-66x66.png 66w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/judo-logo-950sh-150x150.png 150w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/judo-logo-950sh-200x200.png 200w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/judo-logo-950sh-300x300.png 300w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/judo-logo-950sh-400x400.png 400w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/judo-logo-950sh-500x500.png 500w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/judo-logo-950sh-600x600.png 600w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/judo-logo-950sh-700x700.png 700w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/judo-logo-950sh-768x768.png 768w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/judo-logo-950sh-800x800.png 800w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/judo-logo-950sh.png 950w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></div><p>The post <a href="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/2026/07/29/ija-grading-commission-policy-update/">IJA Grading Commission Policy Update</a> first appeared on <a href="https://irishjudoassociation.ie">Irish Judo Association</a>.</p> https://irishjudoassociation.ie/2026/07/29/condolences-to-the-gibbons-family-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=condolences-to-the-gibbons-family-2 Betty Gibbons RIP On behalf of the IJA Executive Committee, the IJA Office Staff, the IJA Competitions Commission and the Leinster Judo Council, we sent our deepest condolences to Mr Leo Gibbons on the passing of his mother Betty. Leo is so well known and respected in Irish Judo alongside his daughter Jodie, we offer [...] Irish Judo Association National https://irishjudoassociation.ie/?p=26326 Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:26:46 +0000 <p><strong>Betty Gibbons RIP</strong></p> <p>On behalf of the IJA Executive Committee, the IJA Office Staff, the IJA Competitions Commission and the Leinster Judo Council, we sent our deepest condolences to Mr Leo Gibbons on the passing of his mother Betty.</p> <p>Leo is so well known and respected in Irish Judo alongside his daughter Jodie, we offer our sincerest sympathies to the whole of the Gibbons Family at this sad time.</p> <p><span style="color: #339966;"><strong>Funeral Details</strong></span></p> <p><strong>Gibbons (née Mulligan)</strong>, Betty, Finglas East formerly The Thatch Rd., Whitehall. Passed away peacefully in the care of the wonderful staff in Rathborne Nursing Home on 27th July 2026, surrounded by her loving family. Predeceased by her beloved husband Leo, also her sister Rita and her brother Frank. Betty will be very sadly missed and remembered always with love by her family, sons Leo, Karl, Trevor, Ronan and Sean, daughters Sharon and Lynn, her adored 19 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren, daughters-in-law Debbie, Eileen and Denise, sons-in-law Ken and Barry, sister Irene, brothers Sean and Raymond, nieces, nephews, extended family, friends and wonderful neighbours on Clancy Road.</p> <p>Reposing at home on Friday, 31st July from 5pm to 7pm.<strong><em> </em></strong>Removal on Saturday morning to St. Canice’s Church, Main St., Finglas Village, arriving at 9.50am for Requiem Mass at 10.00am, followed by Cremation in Glasnevin Crematorium.</p> <p>May Betty&#8217;s gentle soul Rest in Peace.</p> <p><img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-20749" src="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/istockphoto-1264696229-612x612-1-300x200-1.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/istockphoto-1264696229-612x612-1-300x200-1-200x133.jpg 200w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/istockphoto-1264696229-612x612-1-300x200-1.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></p><p>The post <a href="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/2026/07/29/condolences-to-the-gibbons-family-2/">Condolences to the Gibbons Family</a> first appeared on <a href="https://irishjudoassociation.ie">Irish Judo Association</a>.</p> https://konanjudo.wordpress.com/2026/07/29/3rd-jita-kyoei-open-practice/ Join us for the 3rd Jita Kyoei Open Practice hosted at Shojin Judo on August 22nd from 12:30 to 3:30 pm Konan Judo Uncategorized https://konanjudo.wordpress.com/2026/07/29/3rd-jita-kyoei-open-practice/#respond http://konanjudo.wordpress.com/?p=9531 Wed, 29 Jul 2026 16:01:00 +0000 https://konanjudo.wordpress.com/2026/07/29/kumi-kata-and-attack-patterns-clinic-part-2/ Join us for the second part of this clinic on Kumi Kata and Attack Patterns. Konan Judo Judo Clinics https://konanjudo.wordpress.com/2026/07/29/kumi-kata-and-attack-patterns-clinic-part-2/#respond http://konanjudo.wordpress.com/?p=9527 Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:59:44 +0000 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSZRVD7lTwE Chadi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSZRVD7lTwE Tue, 28 Jul 2026 15:15:38 +0000 2026-08-03T05:39:51Z https://welshjudo.com/sandra-franks-volunteering-at-the-commonwealth-games/ How did you get the opportunity?Having volunteered at the previous two Commonwealth Games held in the UK — Glasgow 2014 and Birmingham 2022 — I was eagerly waiting for applications [&#8230;] Welsh Judo Association Uncategorised https://welshjudo.com/sandra-franks-volunteering-at-the-commonwealth-games/#respond https://welshjudo.com/?p=11794 Thu, 23 Jul 2026 08:49:29 +0000 <p class="wp-block-paragraph"></p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>How did you get the opportunity?</strong><br>Having volunteered at the previous two Commonwealth Games held in the UK — Glasgow 2014 and Birmingham 2022 — I was eagerly waiting for applications to open in September 2025.<br><br>A detailed selection process followed, involving a number of different tasks and assessments. Thousands of people applied, and in March 2026 I was delighted to be offered a role at the Games.<br><br><strong>What does your volunteering role involve?<br></strong>At these Games, I will be working as the International Federation Services Team Leader for Judo.<br>The role involves leading a team responsible for supporting the International Federation representatives, staff and Technical Delegate at the competition venue. Our aim is to ensure they have a positive experience throughout the event and that all International Federation requirements are met.<br><strong><br>What are you most looking forward to?</strong><br>I am most looking forward to working alongside an amazing team of people and helping to deliver a fantastic Commonwealth Games judo experience for athletes, officials, volunteers and spectators.<br><br><strong>What does volunteering at the Commonwealth Games mean to you?<br></strong>Being selected to volunteer at my third Commonwealth Games is incredibly special.<br>I love having the opportunity to give something back to the sport and to use my knowledge and experience to help the Games run smoothly.<br><br>It is also wonderful to reconnect with familiar faces, meet new people and work together towards a shared goal. The friendships created through volunteering can last a lifetime.<br><strong><br>Would you recommend volunteering?</strong><br>Absolutely. Should the Commonwealth Games return to the UK, I would encourage anyone considering volunteering to apply.<br><br>It is an unforgettable experience that will stay with you forever and could shape your future in ways you may never have imagined.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br> <br><br><br><br> <br> <br><br> </p> https://irishjudoassociation.ie/2026/07/16/women-in-sport-funding-2026-irish-judo-association/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=women-in-sport-funding-2026-irish-judo-association 'Ministers announce €4 million for Women in Sport' Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan, and Minister for Sport and Postal Policy, Charlie McConalogue, have announced a €4 million investment under the Women in Sport (WIS) Programme for 2026. The funding allocation matches the record amount invested in the last two years and represents [...] Irish Judo Association National Sport Ireland Women in Sport https://irishjudoassociation.ie/?p=26218 Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:53:15 +0000 <p><strong>&#8216;Ministers announce €4 million for Women in Sport&#8217;</strong></p> <p>Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan, and Minister for Sport and Postal Policy, Charlie McConalogue, have announced a €4 million investment under the Women in Sport (WIS) Programme for 2026. The funding allocation matches the record amount invested in the last two years and represents a doubling of the amount allocated in 2022. The WIS Programme funds projects and initiatives for women and girls across a wide range of sports which support the National Sports Policy’s vision of removing barriers to participation and facilitating equal opportunity. The Programme was established in 2005 and since then over €30 million has been invested in women’s sports through the ringfenced funding. Through the National Governing Bodies and Local Sports Partnerships, the additional investment for 2026 will promote women’s involvement in sport across the four WIS Programme target areas, including active participation, coaching and officiating, visibility, and leadership and governance.</p> <p>The Irish Judo Association received an allocation of <strong>€30,000</strong> from the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport via Sport Ireland. Ellie Dennis Irish Judo Association Chair of our Women in Sport Commission is delighted with the continued investment in girls and women in Judo and attended the funding announcement alongside Liz and Bonnie &amp; Poppi who demonstated Judo for all present.</p> <p><strong>Sport Ireland Director and Women in Sport Lead, Nora Stapleton, said:</strong></p> <p><em>“I’ve seen first-hand how this targeted investment can change lives. With this continued support, NGBs are able to build on that momentum and ensure that every woman and girl has a place in sport.  N</em><em>ational Governing Bodies are realistic on the areas where work still needs to be done – this funding is crucial in empowering NGBs in capitalising on the opportunities that exist. The funding also enables us to continue to support long term strategic projects such as Her Moves, ensuring ongoing supports for women in leadership as well as looking at how we might increase the visibility of women in sport.” </em></p> <p>More Photos of the day will be in our Gallery shortly &#8211; see <a href="https://media.sportsfile.com/fotoweb/albums/aldtAbABMSoBw_Bi/"><span style="color: #008000;"><strong>Sport Ireland link</strong></span></a> for more photos.</p> <div id="attachment_26220" style="width: 235px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26220" class="size-medium wp-image-26220" src="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2189.jpeg-2-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2189.jpeg-2-200x267.jpeg 200w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2189.jpeg-2-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2189.jpeg-2-400x533.jpeg 400w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2189.jpeg-2-500x667.jpeg 500w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2189.jpeg-2-600x800.jpeg 600w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2189.jpeg-2-700x933.jpeg 700w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2189.jpeg-2-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2189.jpeg-2-800x1067.jpeg 800w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2189.jpeg-2-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2189.jpeg-2-1200x1600.jpeg 1200w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2189.jpeg-2-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2189.jpeg-2-scaled.jpeg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /><p id="caption-attachment-26220" class="wp-caption-text">Mother &amp; Daughter Ellie &amp; Poppi</p></div> <div id="attachment_26221" style="width: 235px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26221" class="size-medium wp-image-26221" src="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2184.jpeg-1-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2184.jpeg-1-200x267.jpeg 200w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2184.jpeg-1-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2184.jpeg-1-400x533.jpeg 400w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2184.jpeg-1-500x667.jpeg 500w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2184.jpeg-1-600x800.jpeg 600w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2184.jpeg-1-700x933.jpeg 700w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2184.jpeg-1-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2184.jpeg-1-800x1067.jpeg 800w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2184.jpeg-1-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2184.jpeg-1-1200x1600.jpeg 1200w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2184.jpeg-1-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_2184.jpeg-1-scaled.jpeg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /><p id="caption-attachment-26221" class="wp-caption-text">Mother &amp; Daughter Liz &amp; Bonnie</p></div><p>The post <a href="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/2026/07/16/women-in-sport-funding-2026-irish-judo-association/">Women in Sport Funding 2026 – Irish Judo Association</a> first appeared on <a href="https://irishjudoassociation.ie">Irish Judo Association</a>.</p> https://konanjudo.wordpress.com/2026/07/15/promotional-clinic/ Reminder &#8211; All paperwork is due July 23, 2026 Date: Sunday August 23, 2026 Time: Registration: 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm, Clinic: 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Location:&#160;IPPON Martial Arts, 16735 Ridge Road, Northville, MI 48168 Registration Fee: $20 All candidates must submit all their paperwork by July 23, 2026. Submit paperwork to Frances Glaze, [&#8230;] Konan Judo Uncategorized https://konanjudo.wordpress.com/2026/07/15/promotional-clinic/#respond http://konanjudo.wordpress.com/?p=9524 Thu, 16 Jul 2026 03:16:21 +0000 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC2b9wBUio4 Chadi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC2b9wBUio4 Wed, 15 Jul 2026 14:30:31 +0000 2026-08-29T20:26:40Z https://welshjudo.com/natalie-powell-appointed-as-head-of-performance-and-pathway-for-the-welsh-judo-association/ The Welsh Judo Association is delighted to announce the appointment of Natalie Powell to its newly created Head of Performance and Pathway position, following a competitive recruitment process.  Powell brings [&#8230;] Welsh Judo Association Uncategorised https://welshjudo.com/natalie-powell-appointed-as-head-of-performance-and-pathway-for-the-welsh-judo-association/#respond https://welshjudo.com/?p=11779 Fri, 10 Jul 2026 10:09:52 +0000 <p class="wp-block-paragraph"></p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Welsh Judo Association is delighted to announce the appointment of Natalie Powell to its newly created Head of Performance and Pathway position, following a competitive recruitment process. <br><br>Powell brings a unique combination of world-class competitive experience and a deep understanding of the Welsh judo system across a 25-year career. Having started her journey at Irfon Judo Club, she went on to become Wales’ most successful judoka, culminating in winning gold at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, representing Great Britain at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and becoming the first British female judoka to rise to world number one.<br><br>Following her retirement from competition, Powell progressed into coaching, joining the WJA as Commonwealth Games Performance Coach earlier this year, where she will continue to lead the eight-judoka selected to represent Wales through the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games before formally commencing in the new role on 1^st October 2026.<br><br>Powell’s appointment reflects a significant evolution in how the WJA will develop its performance and pathway structures beyond this summer’s Games. As the WJA prepares for its next strategic cycle, Powell will play a key role in undertaking a comprehensive review of existing systems and will hold responsibility for driving a positive high-performance culture, supporting coach development and strengthening partnerships across the judo community. Alongside driving performance outcomes, the role will place a strong emphasis on culture, wellbeing and ensuring the values of judo are lived and breathed both on and off the mat.<br><br>“We are absolutely delighted to be welcoming Natalie to our leadership team on a permanent basis later this year,” said the WJA’s Chief Executive Officer, Ben Jeffreys.<br><br>&#8220;Natalie impressed us at every stage of what was a highly rigorous recruitment process and has consistently displayed the qualities we were seeking in our next leader. She articulated a clear vision for how we can evolve our performance and pathway structures and create a system capable of delivering a positive impact.<br>“Natalie’s appointment marks the beginning of what will be a long-term project, where our ambitions will be underpinned by a commitment to create lasting change for everybody connected to judo in Wales.  We are incredibly excited about what the future holds under her leadership.&#8221;<br><br>On being tasked with leading the WJA’s performance and pathway system into the future, Powell said: “Welsh judo has been a huge part of my life, first as an athlete and now as a coach, so this opportunity means a great deal to me.<br><br>“I am excited to take on this role and help shape the future of Welsh judo by supporting our athletes, coaches and clubs to reach their ambitions. My focus will always be on creating the best possible environment for people to develop, perform and succeed.”<br> <br><br><br><br> <br> <br><br> </p> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFPxpjjhIBA Chadi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFPxpjjhIBA Wed, 8 Jul 2026 14:00:07 +0000 2026-07-11T23:11:36Z https://irishjudoassociation.ie/2026/07/08/ija-adaptive-survey-for-members-coaches/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ija-adaptive-survey-for-members-coaches The Irish Judo Association Adaptive Commission, led by Peggy Magee, is seeking feedback from members and coaches to help shape the future of adaptive judo in Ireland. Two surveys have been launched—one for members and one for coaches—and are featured in both the News and Events sections of the website to maximise visibility and encourage [...] Irish Judo Association National https://irishjudoassociation.ie/?p=26199 Wed, 08 Jul 2026 11:00:11 +0000 <p>The Irish Judo Association Adaptive Commission, led by Peggy Magee, is seeking feedback from members and coaches to help shape the future of adaptive judo in Ireland. Two surveys have been launched—one for members and one for coaches—and are featured in both the News and Events sections of the website to maximise visibility and encourage participation. The surveys will remain open until 5 August 2026, with a possible extension depending on response rates. We encourage all members and coaches to complete and share the surveys, regardless of whether their club currently has adaptive members.</p> <p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><a style="color: #ff0000;" href="https://forms.gle/Q42VXvdgWw8UJ98Q7">Judo Club Inclusion Survey for Parents &amp; Members</a></strong></span></p> <div> <div>Purpose: This short anonymous survey (under 2 minutes) helps the Irish Judo Association (IJA) understand how to better develop and support clubs in meeting the needs of children and members with additional or adaptive needs.</div> <div></div> </div> <p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><a style="color: #ff0000;" href="https://forms.gle/p42Rmjm1W5MHsVDd6">Adaptive Judo Coach Inclusion Survey</a></strong></span></p> <p>Purpose: This short survey (under 2 minutes) aims to understand coaches’ experiences, confidence, and support needs in including adaptive players in judo clubs.</p> <div> <div> <div> <p>For the purposes of these surveys, a judoka with additional or adaptive needs refers to a person with a disability or additional support needs who participates in judo using appropriate adaptations, supports or divisioning to enable safe, fair and meaningful participation (adapted from the European Judo Union, 2025).</p> <p><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-26181" src="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Irish-Adaptive-Judo-Make-your-club-a-place-for-everyone-300x214.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="214" srcset="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Irish-Adaptive-Judo-Make-your-club-a-place-for-everyone-200x142.jpg 200w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Irish-Adaptive-Judo-Make-your-club-a-place-for-everyone-300x214.jpg 300w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Irish-Adaptive-Judo-Make-your-club-a-place-for-everyone-400x285.jpg 400w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Irish-Adaptive-Judo-Make-your-club-a-place-for-everyone-500x356.jpg 500w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Irish-Adaptive-Judo-Make-your-club-a-place-for-everyone-600x427.jpg 600w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Irish-Adaptive-Judo-Make-your-club-a-place-for-everyone-700x498.jpg 700w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Irish-Adaptive-Judo-Make-your-club-a-place-for-everyone-768x547.jpg 768w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Irish-Adaptive-Judo-Make-your-club-a-place-for-everyone-800x570.jpg 800w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Irish-Adaptive-Judo-Make-your-club-a-place-for-everyone.jpg 972w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> <img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-26182" src="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Irish-Adaptive-Judo-Why-think-about-it-300x212.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="212" srcset="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Irish-Adaptive-Judo-Why-think-about-it-200x141.jpg 200w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Irish-Adaptive-Judo-Why-think-about-it-300x212.jpg 300w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Irish-Adaptive-Judo-Why-think-about-it-400x282.jpg 400w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Irish-Adaptive-Judo-Why-think-about-it-500x353.jpg 500w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Irish-Adaptive-Judo-Why-think-about-it-600x423.jpg 600w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Irish-Adaptive-Judo-Why-think-about-it-700x494.jpg 700w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Irish-Adaptive-Judo-Why-think-about-it-768x542.jpg 768w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Irish-Adaptive-Judo-Why-think-about-it-800x565.jpg 800w, https://irishjudoassociation.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Irish-Adaptive-Judo-Why-think-about-it.jpg 972w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> </div> </div><p>The post <a href="https://irishjudoassociation.ie/2026/07/08/ija-adaptive-survey-for-members-coaches/">IJA Adaptive Survey – For Members & Coaches</a> first appeared on <a href="https://irishjudoassociation.ie">Irish Judo Association</a>.</p> https://welshjudo.com/natalie-powell-inducted-into-welsh-sports-hall-of-fame/ The Welsh Judo Association is proud to recognise the induction of Natalie Powell as inductee number 217 into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame.The honour was presented at last week’s [&#8230;] Welsh Judo Association Uncategorised https://welshjudo.com/natalie-powell-inducted-into-welsh-sports-hall-of-fame/#respond https://welshjudo.com/?p=11749 Tue, 30 Jun 2026 09:43:03 +0000 <p class="wp-block-paragraph"></p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Welsh Judo Association is proud to recognise the induction of Natalie Powell as inductee number 217 into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame.<br>The honour was presented at last week’s Road to Glasgow: Team Wales with the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame event at the Parkgate Hotel in Cardiff, recognising a career that has helped define Welsh judo on the global stage.<br> <br>Natalie&#8217;s journey is one of sustained excellence at the very highest level of international competition. Competing in the -78kg category, she established herself as a consistent presence among the world’s elite, earning success across the International Judo Federation World Tour with multiple medals at both Grand Slam and Grand Prix events, alongside podium finishes at World and European Championships.<br> <br>Her breakthrough moment came at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, where she delivered a memorable performance to secure gold for Wales. That achievement remains one of the defining highlights in Welsh judo history and helped set the platform for the international success that followed.<br> <br>Natalie went on to represent Team GB on the biggest stage, competing at both the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. In 2017, she reached another historic milestone by becoming the first British female judoka to rise to world number one, further cementing her place among the most accomplished judoka Wales has ever produced.<br> <br>Central to that rise was the influence of coach, Darren Warner. Their partnership, which began in 2014, proved transformative. Under Warner’s guidance, Natalie developed every aspect of her performance and built the confidence needed to compete — and succeed — against the very best in the world.<br> <br>Following her retirement from competitive judo in 2024, Natalie transitioned into a new role as the Welsh Judo Association&#8217;s Commonwealth Games Performance Coach, where alongside Warner, she is leading the charge in preparing the eight athletes selected to represent Team Wales at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.<br> <br>Natalie&#8217;s induction into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame is a fitting tribute, not only to her achievements on the mat, but also to her continued contribution to the sport.<br>Everyone at the Welsh Judo Association is incredibly proud of Natalie for everything she has accomplished and for the impact she continues to have in shaping the future of judo in Wales.</p> https://www.yhjudo.org.uk/news/299-north-yorkshire-festival-2026 <p><img src="https://www.yhjudo.org.uk/images/news/2026/2026-05-27-yh-festival/venue_w.jpg" alt="venue w" width="487" height="387" style="float: right;" /></p> <p>The ever popular North Yorkshire Festival on the 28th June was once again held at York.An event that year on year proves to be very popular with players of all ages from 8 years&nbsp; old.</p> <p>In the region of 200 competitors took part in the event across 3 mats, doing their best to show off their judo skills.</p> <p>We also saw presentions for young player of the year for 2025 &amp; Mike Leng recognised for decades of voluntary service to area judo.&nbsp;</p> <p>There were also referee assessments for a few of the volunteers in ties. Also happy to have a couple of people volunteer to work the scoreboards at an event for the first time.</p> Yorkshire and Humberside Judo news - Yorkshire and Humberside Judo News https://www.yhjudo.org.uk/news/299-north-yorkshire-festival-2026 Tue, 30 Jun 2026 01:00:22 +0100 https://kljudo.com/abe-style-sode/ The Abe siblings (Hifumi and Uta) do their sode from a double sleeve grip, and they utilize a "punching grip" rather than a classical grip. KL Judo Technical Session 6a416c4e82679c78d6214b2d Sun, 28 Jun 2026 18:48:34 GMT <figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XkIzU-b0yG0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen title="Abe Style Sode"></iframe></figure> https://kljudo.com/sode-tsurikomi-goshi-classical/ On Sunday, we worked on Sode-Tsurikomi-Goshi, classical version, which is done off a traditional sleeve-lapel grip. KL Judo Technical Session 6a4159da82679c78d6214b20 Sun, 28 Jun 2026 17:29:47 GMT <figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KiviEMWmtEg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen title="Sode-Tsurikomi-Goshi (Classical)"></iframe></figure> https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fuLeGoSAI9U Chadi https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fuLeGoSAI9U Thu, 25 Jun 2026 13:00:39 +0000 2026-08-15T18:18:04Z https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ceqaBX0FZA Chadi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ceqaBX0FZA Wed, 24 Jun 2026 14:00:06 +0000 2026-06-29T04:06:01Z https://welshjudo.com/volunteer-opportunity-welsh-judo-association-technical-officials-representative/ The Welsh Judo Association is seeking a passionate and committed volunteer to support the continued development of technical officiating across Wales. Welsh Judo Association Technical Officials RepresentativeTechnical officials play a [&#8230;] Welsh Judo Association Uncategorised https://welshjudo.com/volunteer-opportunity-welsh-judo-association-technical-officials-representative/#respond https://welshjudo.com/?p=11744 Tue, 23 Jun 2026 14:41:56 +0000 <p class="wp-block-paragraph"></p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Welsh Judo Association is seeking a passionate and committed volunteer to support the continued development of technical officiating across Wales.<br><br><strong>Welsh Judo Association Technical Officials Representative<br></strong><br>Technical officials play a vital role in the successful delivery of judo competitions. From timekeepers and scorers to recorders and competition controllers, they help ensure events are delivered safely, fairly, and professionally.<br>The Technical Officials Representative will act as the main point of contact for technical officials in Wales, supporting recruitment, training, development, and progression opportunities.<br><br>Working closely with Welsh Judo staff, clubs, event organisers, and the wider British Judo officiating community, the successful candidate will help build a confident, sustainable, and inclusive technical officiating workforce across Wales.<br>This is an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to Welsh Judo by supporting volunteers, developing future officials, and helping ensure high-quality competition delivery at all levels of the sport.<br><br>Key Responsibilities:<br>Support the recruitment and development of technical officials across Wales.<br>Coordinate and promote training and progression opportunities.<br>Provide mentoring and support to new and developing officials.<br>Assist with officiating appointments and succession planning for events.<br>Promote inclusion, professionalism, and best practice within the officiating community.<br>Liaise with clubs, event organisers, Welsh Judo, and British Judo to support the ongoing development of technical officials.<br><br><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/1f4c4.png" alt="📄" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> <strong>Read the full role description and apply</strong><br><div class='w3eden'><!-- WPDM Link Template: Default Template --> <div class="link-template-default card mb-2"> <div class="card-body"> <div class="media"> <div class="mr-3 img-48"><img decoding="async" class="wpdm_icon" alt="Icon" src="https://welshjudo.com/wp-content/plugins/download-manager/assets/file-type-icons/pdf.svg" /></div> <div class="media-body"> <h3 class="package-title"><a href='https://welshjudo.com/download/welsh-judo-association-technical-officials-representative-role-description/'>Welsh Judo Association Technical Officials Representative Role Description</a></h3> <div class="text-muted text-small"><i class="fas fa-copy"></i> 1 file(s) <i class="fas fa-hdd ml-3"></i> 225.16 KB</div> </div> <div class="ml-3"> <a class='wpdm-download-link download-on-click btn btn-primary ' rel='nofollow' href='#' data-downloadurl="https://welshjudo.com/download/welsh-judo-association-technical-officials-representative-role-description/?wpdmdl=11746&refresh=6a9aa45eaa5941788519518">Download</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div><br><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/1f5d3.png" alt="🗓" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> <strong>Closing date for applications:</strong> Wednesday 01 August 2026<br><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/1f4e7.png" alt="📧" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> <strong>To apply</strong>, please send a CV and short covering letter outlining your experience and motivation for the role to <a href="mailto:office@welshjudo.com">office@welshjudo.com</a>. Please include <strong>&#8220;Technical Officials Representative Application&#8221;</strong> in the subject line.<br>For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Tom Hughes at <a href="mailto:tom.hughes@welshjudo.com">tom.hughes@welshjudo.com</a>.</p> https://welshjudo.com/welsh-teams-announced-for-british-national-team-championships-2026/ Welsh Judo is pleased to announce the athletes selected to represent Wales at the British National Team Championships 2026, taking place on Saturday 4 July 2026. The annual event brings [&#8230;] Welsh Judo Association Uncategorised https://welshjudo.com/welsh-teams-announced-for-british-national-team-championships-2026/#respond https://welshjudo.com/?p=11741 Mon, 22 Jun 2026 10:46:12 +0000 <p class="wp-block-paragraph"></p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Welsh Judo is pleased to announce the athletes selected to represent Wales at the British National Team Championships 2026, taking place on Saturday 4 July 2026.<br><br>The annual event brings together some of the best young judoka from across the Home Nations, competing as teams in a unique format that rewards both individual excellence and collective team spirit.<br><br>The Welsh squad features athletes from clubs across the country, reflecting the strength and depth of the Welsh performance pathway.<br><br><strong>Minors &amp; Pre-Cadet Boys</strong>:<br>Harley Maynard (-38kg) – Samurai Olympic Judo Club<br>Kaden Dix-Thomas (-42kg) – Carmarthen Judo Club<br>Jac Williams (-46kg) – Judo Swansea<br>Imran Concescu (-50kg) – Cardiff Judo Academy<br>Noah Scoberg (-55kg) – Judo Swansea<br>Louis Jones (-60kg) – C &amp; S Academy Judo<br>Finley French (+60kg) – Cardiff Judo Academy<br><strong><br>Minors &amp; Pre-Cadet Girls</strong>:<br>Carys Thomas (-44kg) – Doraiba Judo<br>Frankie Jones (-48kg) – Tondu Silverbacks Judo Club<br>Eliora Folaranmi (-52kg) – Cardiff Judo Academy<br>Isabelle Davies (+57kg) – Judo Swansea<br><br><strong>Cadet &amp; Junior Boys</strong>:<br>Ashwin Yoganathan (-50kg) – Samurai Olympic Judo Club<br>Bryn Meredith (-55kg) – Judo Swansea<br>Cedric Davies (-60kg) – Judo Swansea<br>Ellis Bevan (-66kg) – Doraiba Judo<br>Logan Benbow (-73kg) – Imperial Judo Club<br>Harvey Pugh (-81kg) – Pontarddulais Judo Club<br>Luca Rabaiotti-Lloyd (+81kg) – EGH Judo<br><br><strong>Cadet &amp; Junior Girls</strong>:<br>Jasmin Yoganathan (-48kg) – Samurai Olympic Judo Club<br>Cali Bevan (-57kg) – Doraiba Judo<br>Matilda Kelham (-63kg) – Doraiba Judo<br>Erin Thomas (+63kg) – Doraiba Judo<br><br>Everyone at Welsh Judo would like to congratulate the selected athletes and their coaches on this achievement and wish them the very best as they prepare to represent Wales at the British National Team Championships.<br>We look forward to following the team&#8217;s progress and celebrating their performances on 4 July.</p> https://www.usjf.com/congratulations-to-corinne-shigemoto/ It is my great honor, on behalf of the United States Judo Federation, to congratulate Corinne Shigemoto on her induction into the U.S. Judo Hall of Fame. United States Judo Federation News https://www.usjf.com/?p=72968 Sat, 20 Jun 2026 04:11:56 +0000 https://welshjudo.com/cg26announce/ The Welsh Judo Association is proud to announce the selection of eight judoka who will represent Wales at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, marking a significant milestone for the athletes, [&#8230;] Welsh Judo Association Uncategorised https://welshjudo.com/cg26announce/#respond https://welshjudo.com/?p=11736 Fri, 19 Jun 2026 07:01:36 +0000 <p class="wp-block-paragraph"></p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Welsh Judo Association is proud to announce the selection of eight judoka who will represent Wales at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, marking a significant milestone for the athletes, their coaches, clubs and the wider Welsh judo community.<br>The squad showcases the strength and depth of Welsh judo, bringing together Commonwealth Games experience, World Class Performance Programme athletes, British champions, international medallists and some of the country&#8217;s most exciting emerging talent.<br><strong>Commonwealth Games Performance Coach Natalie Powell said:</strong><br><em>&#8220;I’m incredibly proud of the athletes selected to represent Wales at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Selection for a Commonwealth Games is a significant achievement and reflects the hard work, dedication and commitment shown by each athlete, alongside the invaluable support of their coaches, clubs and families.</em><br><em>This is an exciting and ambitious group. We have a young, talented team that has been building momentum over the past few years, delivering strong performances on the international stage and continuing to develop with every competition. There is a genuine belief within this squad, and they will travel to Glasgow with confidence, determination and immense pride in representing Wales.</em><br><em>The future of Welsh judo is incredibly bright, and I’m excited to see what this team can achieve when they step onto one of the biggest stages in international sport.&#8221;</em><br><strong>Leading the team is Ollie Barratt</strong> (U100kg, Dragons Academy) who brings extensive international experience to the Welsh team. A member of the GB World Class Performance Programme, Ollie has represented Great Britain at both World and European Championships and arrives in Glasgow as the reigning British Senior Champion, having established himself as one of Britain&#8217;s leading senior athletes.<br><strong>Ashleigh Barnikel</strong> (U48kg, Team Kaizen Judo Club, Bradley Stoke Judo Club and Neyland Judo Club), will make her second Commonwealth Games appearance after representing Wales at Birmingham 2022. A proven performer on both the domestic and international stage, Ashleigh has enjoyed continued success in recent years, securing medals across multiple Continental Open events.<br>Also selected is <strong>Holly Devall(</strong>U70kg, Dragons Academy), whose impressive run of international performances has seen her collect multiple Continental Open medals over the past year. Her recent victories on the international circuit highlight her consistency and growing reputation as she prepares for her Commonwealth Games debut.<br>One of Wales&#8217; brightest young prospects, <strong>Lola Hodson</strong> (U52kg, Dragons Academy) has already achieved international success across cadet, junior and senior competition. A member of the GB World Class Performance Programme, Lola is currently British Junior and Senior Champion, placing 5^th at the Junior European Championships in 2025 and currently ranked among the world&#8217;s leading junior athletes.<br><strong>Millie Bayliss</strong> (U63kg, Bradley Stoke Judo Club) has continued her rapid progression through the ranks, building on her success as a British Junior Champion with a series of strong international performances. Her recent Continental Open medals demonstrate her ability to compete consistently at senior level as she earns her place on the Commonwealth Games team.<br>Making his Commonwealth Games debut, <strong>Ben Moore</strong> (U73kg, Bradley Stoke Judo Club, Silverbacks &amp; Craig Ewers Academy) has established himself as one of Wales&#8217; leading senior judoka. Making the step up to Senior judo this year Ben has stepped up, earning medals at several Continental Open events.<br><strong>Josh Whitehouse</strong> (+100kg, Go Judo and Judo Swansea) enters the Games following a breakthrough period in his senior career. Crowned British Senior Champion in 2025, he has continued to build momentum internationally and will look to carry that form onto the Commonwealth stage.<br>Completing the squad is <strong>Josh Bell</strong> (U66kg, Bishop&#8217;s Stortford Judokwai), who has steadily developed his international credentials with a number of medal performances on the Continental Open circuit. His selection reflects both his recent progress and the confidence placed in his potential by the Welsh coaching team.<br>The Welsh Judo Association congratulates all eight athletes on their selection and recognises the invaluable contribution of their coaches, clubs, families and support networks. Their dedication and commitment have played a vital role in helping these athletes earn the opportunity to represent Wales on one of the biggest stages in international sport.<br>With a talented and ambitious squad heading to Glasgow, Welsh Judo looks forward to seeing its athletes compete with pride, passion and determination as they aim to make their mark at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.<br> <br><strong>Selected Welsh Judoka:</strong><br><br><strong>Womens Team</strong><br>Ashleigh Barnikel (U48kg) – Team Kaizen / Bradley Stoke / Neyland Judo Club<br>Lola Hodson (U52kg) – Dragons Academy<br>Millie Bayliss (U63kg) – Bradley Stoke Judo Club<br>Holly Devall (U70kg) – Dragons Academy<br><br><br><strong>Mens Team:</strong><br>Joshua Bell (U66kg) – Bishop’s Stortford Judokwai<br>Ben Moore (U73kg) – Bradley Stoke Judo Club / Silverbacks Judo Club / Craig Ewers Academy<br>Oliver Barratt (U100kg) – Dragons Academy<br>Joshua Whitehouse (Over 100kg) – Go Judo / Judo Swansea</p> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBO0Ro__t2Y Chadi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBO0Ro__t2Y Thu, 11 Jun 2026 13:00:37 +0000 2026-06-17T04:41:34Z https://www.usjf.com/usjf-and-usa-judo-agree-for-a-partnership/ The United States Judo Federation extends its sincere appreciation to Dr. Ron Tripp, USA Judo CEO Corinne Shigemoto and USJF Executive Director Robert for their collaboration in establishing this reciprocal membership agreement. United States Judo Federation News https://www.usjf.com/?p=72956 Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:35:18 +0000 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8Z59_FdFbQ Chadi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8Z59_FdFbQ Sun, 7 Jun 2026 15:15:26 +0000 2026-06-16T19:18:29Z https://www.kokakids.co.uk/mark-fricker-interview-how-pembee-has-helped-simplify-dojo-admin <p>The GB international and World Masters medallist, Mark Fricker talks honestly about how Pembee streamlined <a href="https://www.kokakids.co.uk/mark-fricker-interview-how-pembee-has-helped-simplify-dojo-admin">Read more</a></p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.kokakids.co.uk/mark-fricker-interview-how-pembee-has-helped-simplify-dojo-admin">Mark Fricker Interview: How Pembee has helped simplify dojo admin</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.kokakids.co.uk">Judo Books by Koka Kids</a>.</p> Judo Books by Koka Kids Uncategorized https://www.kokakids.co.uk/?p=23144 Mon, 01 Jun 2026 10:44:25 +0000 https://konanjudo.wordpress.com/2026/05/29/the-second-jita-kyoei-gathering/ &#160;OPEN PRACTICE FOR ALL JUDOKA AND JUDO CLUBS IN THE AREA SATURDAY JUNE 20TH, 12:30PM &#8211; 3:30PMWARM UPS, DRILLS, INSTRUCTION, OPEN RANDORI Please contact info@kariganejudo.com with questions. Konan Judo Uncategorized https://konanjudo.wordpress.com/2026/05/29/the-second-jita-kyoei-gathering/#respond http://konanjudo.wordpress.com/?p=9519 Fri, 29 May 2026 17:23:09 +0000 https://konanjudo.wordpress.com/2026/05/23/kumi-kata-and-attack-patterns-clinic/ Join us for a clinic on Kumi Kata and Attack Patterns with Sensei Nabil Elalem on June 7th from 1 pm to 3 pm Registration is on SmoothComp at https://usjf.smoothcomp.com/en/event/32377 Konan Judo Uncategorized clinic https://konanjudo.wordpress.com/2026/05/23/kumi-kata-and-attack-patterns-clinic/#respond http://konanjudo.wordpress.com/?p=9514 Sun, 24 May 2026 00:05:30 +0000 https://kljudo.com/grading-techniques-ura-nage-yoko-guruma/ Ura-Nage & Yoko-Guruma KL Judo Grading 6a10cef68721cf1ba63c36e6 Fri, 22 May 2026 21:49:35 GMT <figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ve1IBh_VygI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen title="Ura-Nage &amp; Yoko-Guruma"></iframe></figure> https://kljudo.com/grading-techniques-tani-otoshi-daki-wakare/ Tani-Otoshi & Daki-Wakare KL Judo Grading 6a10bfbc8721cf1ba63c36d9 Fri, 22 May 2026 20:43:31 GMT <figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y0H2jKLq7HY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen title="Tani-Otoshi &amp; Daki-Wakare"></iframe></figure> https://kljudo.com/grading-techniques-soto-makikomi/ Soto-Makikomi from Kenka-Yotsu & Ai-Yotsu stances. KL Judo Grading 6a10b31d8721cf1ba63c36cc Fri, 22 May 2026 19:50:07 GMT <figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tOBvrcAUtOM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen title="Soto-Makikomi"></iframe></figure> https://konanjudo.wordpress.com/2026/05/22/konan-promotional-6/ Date: Sunday September 20, 2026 Time: Registration: 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm, Test: 1:00 pm Location:&#160;IPPON Martial Arts, 16735 Ridge Road, Northville, MI 48168 Registration Fee: $20 All candidates must submit all their paperwork by July 23, 2026. Submit paperwork to Frances Glaze, Chair of Konan Board of Examiners, and Tom Sheehan, Chair of Konan [&#8230;] Konan Judo Uncategorized promotion https://konanjudo.wordpress.com/2026/05/22/konan-promotional-6/#respond http://konanjudo.wordpress.com/?p=9509 Fri, 22 May 2026 17:17:23 +0000 https://konanjudo.wordpress.com/2026/05/22/konan-promotional-clinic-6/ Date: Sunday August 23, 2026 Time: Registration: 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm, Clinic: 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Location:&#160;IPPON Martial Arts, 16735 Ridge Road, Northville, MI 48168 Registration Fee: $20 All candidates must submit all their paperwork by July 23, 2026. Submit paperwork to Frances Glaze, Chair of Konan Board of Examiners, and Tom Sheehan, [&#8230;] Konan Judo Uncategorized clinic promotion https://konanjudo.wordpress.com/2026/05/22/konan-promotional-clinic-6/#comments http://konanjudo.wordpress.com/?p=9504 Fri, 22 May 2026 17:14:52 +0000 https://welshjudo.com/the-welsh-judo-association-can-confirm-an-update-to-our-membership-fees-from-15-june-2026/ For several years, WJA membership fees have remained unchanged. However, the cost of delivering high-quality judo across Wales has continued to rise in recent years, including costs associated with member [&#8230;] Welsh Judo Association Uncategorised https://welshjudo.com/the-welsh-judo-association-can-confirm-an-update-to-our-membership-fees-from-15-june-2026/#respond https://welshjudo.com/?p=11706 Fri, 22 May 2026 13:28:17 +0000 <p class="wp-block-paragraph"></p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">For several years, WJA membership fees have remained unchanged. However, the cost of delivering high-quality judo across Wales has continued to rise in recent years, including costs associated with member services, safeguarding, governance, workforce support, development, and administration.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Despite these increases, our updated fees remain below the equivalent rates of the British Judo Association, while also bringing us more closely in line with the other home nation judo bodies.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">A significant benefit for our members and clubs is that grading will remain free of charge.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">The new annual membership fees will be:</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">JudoTots (ages 3-4): £7<br>Under 8s: £20<br>Under 16s: £30<br>Over 16s Competitive: £35<br>Over 16s Recreational: £22</p> https://www.nijudo.com/fantastic-news-for-sean-the-deaf-olympics-awaits/ <p>The post <a href="https://www.nijudo.com/fantastic-news-for-sean-the-deaf-olympics-awaits/">Fantastic news for Sean &#8211; The Deaf Olympics awaits!</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.nijudo.com">NI Judo</a>.</p> NI Judo Uncategorized https://www.nijudo.com/?p=6918 Wed, 20 May 2026 09:12:48 +0000 <div class="wpb-content-wrapper" id="wpb-content-root"><div class="vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid"><div class="wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12"><div class="vc_column-inner"><div class="wpb_wrapper"> <div class="wpb_text_column wpb_content_element " > <div class="wpb_wrapper"> <p><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-6920" src="https://www.nijudo.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sean1-138x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="434" />After finding out the fantastic news that our very own Sean McRory has been added to the GB Deaf Squad, with a view to pushing forward to the Deaf Olympics, Commercial Manager Mark Donald, caught up with Sean to ask him all about the announcement.</p> <p>It was also a fantastic opportunity to find out more about Sean, his background and the motivation that drives him forward.</p> <p>Interview below&#8230;</p> <p><strong>1. Tell us how you found out about your selection</strong><br /> I found out about my selection through a phone call, after Stephen Sims contacted my coach, Neil Byrne, about the opportunity.</p> <hr /> <p><strong>2. How long have you been training in Judo, and where do you train</strong><br /> I have been training in Judo for 8 years and continue to train in Omagh.</p> <hr /> <p><strong>3. What obstacles do deaf athletes face in Judo, and how have you worked to overcome them</strong><br /> I’ve been passionate about Judo since I was young, so any obstacles I faced were overcome naturally. Being a deaf athlete has never affected my passion for Judo in any way.</p> <hr /> <p><strong>4. What could be done to welcome more of the deaf community into Judo</strong><br /> We could advertise Judo more within deaf communities and show that they are no different from anyone else. It’s important to demonstrate that they can learn, be passionate, and overcome obstacles regardless of their background. Anyone can succeed if they put their heart into it.</p> <hr /> <p><strong><img decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-6919" src="https://www.nijudo.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sean2-160x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="376" srcset="https://www.nijudo.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sean2-160x300.jpg 160w, https://www.nijudo.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sean2.jpg 544w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" />5. How are you feeling about being added to the GB squad with Deaf Olympics potential beckoning</strong><br /> I feel incredibly thankful for the opportunity to stand out and represent Team GB in the deaf competition. It makes me feel like I’ve reached my full potential, and it shows that all my hard work has finally paid off.</p> <hr /> <p><strong>6. When you look back at your judo journey so far, what moments stand out as the most important</strong><br /> Every moment in Judo has been important — both the good and the bad. Each one has shaped who I am. Even the difficult moments helped me improve my techniques and stay motivated. These experiences will continue to guide me, especially on tough days, as I push myself to become better.</p> <hr /> <p><strong>7. Who is your biggest role model, either inside or outside of Judo</strong><br /> My mother is my biggest role model. Growing up in a single‑mother household taught me discipline and resilience. She helped me find Judo — the thing that brought joy and purpose into my life. Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today or have the opportunities I’ve earned through my hard work.</p> <hr /> <p><strong>8. What keeps you motivated on the tough days</strong><br /> On tough days, what keeps me motivated is knowing that every day brings a chance to improve my techniques and learn new skills. It excites me to work toward my full potential and build confidence for competition.</p> <hr /> <p><strong>9. What are your plans and goals over the next year</strong><br /> My goals are to work hard, push myself to a higher standard, and continue building confidence in the sport that has brought so much into my life. I want to take opportunities to compete, represent groups, and show others that I’m no different — that obstacles can be overcome to achieve success.</p> <hr /> <p><strong>10. Finally, what advice would you give to a deaf Judoka wanting to push forward in the sport</strong><br /> Show your full potential and don’t be afraid of it. You’re capable of anything — be proud of who you are. If Judo is something you want to try or feel passionate about, don’t let anything stop you. Be yourself, inspire others in the deaf community, and show that with hard work, anything is possible. Carry your confidence like a trophy.</p> </div> </div> </div></div></div></div> </div><p>The post <a href="https://www.nijudo.com/fantastic-news-for-sean-the-deaf-olympics-awaits/">Fantastic news for Sean &#8211; The Deaf Olympics awaits!</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.nijudo.com">NI Judo</a>.</p> https://welshjudo.com/welsh-judo-backs-uk-anti-dopings-clean-sport-week/ Welsh Judo is proud to support Clean Sport Week (taking place from 11–17 May 2026), the annual awareness campaign led by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) that champions fair play, integrity and [&#8230;] Welsh Judo Association Announcement Clubs Competitions News Press Release NEWS https://welshjudo.com/?p=11682 Mon, 11 May 2026 11:23:35 +0000 <p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Welsh Judo is proud to support Clean Sport Week (taking place from 11–17 May 2026), the annual awareness campaign led by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) that champions fair play, integrity and drug-free sport.</strong><br><br>This year’s theme, ‘Built not bought. 100% me.’, celebrates athletes who achieve true, lasting success through hard work, talent and commitment. It sends a clear message: champions compete clean and don’t take shortcuts.<br><br>Clean Sport Week 2026 comes at a critical time. There is growing concern across the sporting and fitness community, about the marketing and availability of Image and Performance Enhancing Drugs (IPEDs) online, including Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs).<br><br>There is an increasing amount of content online promoting the use of SARMs to young people, with claims that these are ‘safer alternatives to anabolic steroids’. This is not the case. They are dangerous, not for human consumption and are banned in sport. UKAD is using Clean Sport Week to shine a light on this misinformation and to remind people not to risk their health, career and reputation by taking these substances. Don’t swallow the lies.<br><br>Welsh Judo is committed to ensuring that athletes from elite competitors to grassroots participants and young fitness enthusiasts, have access to accurate information and are empowered to make healthy, drug-free choices. The message is simple: just don’t risk it. True success is built, not bought.<br>To find out more about Clean Sport Week and access resources, <a href="http://www.ukad.org.uk/clean-sport-week">click here</a>!<br><br></p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>