On Saturday (16 December, preliminary round from 10:30 a.m., final block from 5 p.m.) a premiere of a special kind awaits – with the European Championships Open 2023 in PRISTINA (KOS). The format is new: only two weight classes (women: -57 kg, men: -73) will be held. A total of 300,000 euros will be paid out per weight class. The two winners will each receive €55,000, the finalists €35,000 each and the fifth-placed fighters will each receive a further €10,000. The seeding lists are headed by Tokyo Olympic champion Distria KRASNIQI (KOS) and world number one Hidayat HEYDAROV (/AZE). A total of 42 judoka from 27 nations have been registered.
The appearance of local heroine and Olympic champion Distria KRASNIQI (KOS, world number one -52 kg) in the higher weight category will be a source of great anticipation. “This premiere is special for us from many points of view. We are hosting the event for the first time, with a new format and unusually high prize money. We’ve been waiting a long time for this event. The anticipation couldn’t be greater,” said Kosovo Federation President and EJU Executive Committee member Agron KUKA.
Author: EJU Media