In just one week, Bratislava will welcome Europe’s best young judoka to the Junior European Judo Championships 2025. From 4–7 September, the GOPASS ARENA will host 14 Slovak athletes who will aim to make history on home soil. The local organising committee held a media briefing ahead of the event.
The Slovak Judo Federation has spent months preparing to meet the highest organisational standards of the European Judo Union. “Everything is measured to the centimetre,” said Vice President Jozef Tománek Jr. “From 1 September, the mats will begin arriving at GOPASS ARENA, and we are ready to host a first-class event.”
Slovakia heads into the championships with one of its most promising junior squads to date. Across the Junior European Cup series, six Slovak judoka collected a total of 15 medals, a record-breaking haul. Leading the way is Patrícia Tománková (–48kg), who won four medals, followed closely by her cousin Lenka Tománková (–63kg) and Jozef Tománek Jr. (–60kg), each with three. Nina Filkorová (+78kg), Oliver Scheffel (–100kg) and Juraj Odkladal (–73kg) also added to the tally.
“This is an extraordinary number of medals,” said Tománek Jr., who also coaches the junior squad. “It shows the strength of this generation and gives us confidence heading into the Europeans.”
President of the Slovak Judo Federation, Anton Pospíšek hailed the event as both a sporting and diplomatic success: “It is a great honour that the EJU entrusted us with hosting this championship. Credit also goes to EJU President Dr Tóth László, who knows Slovak judo and our ambitions. This is a big opportunity for our young athletes to compete at home, in front of their families and fans, and to measure themselves against Europe’s very best.”
The importance of the event was also underlined by Anton Siekel, President of the Slovak Olympic and Sports Committee, himself a former judoka: “Judo is close to my heart. It teaches respect, discipline, and fair play. To see Slovakia host the Europeans is a source of pride, and I believe some of these juniors could one day grow into Olympic medallists.”
For the first time, Slovakia will also field a mixed team in the junior category. “Not all weight categories are balanced but every win will count,” said Tománek Jr. “We also have three athletes ranked 11th in the world: Patrícia and Lenka Tománková, and Jozef Tománek. That shows our ambitions.”
Preparations have been thorough. The juniors trained abroad, including a three-week camp in Japan and another in Spain, before finalising preparations at home with elite guests. Olympic champion Shohei Ono led a seminar in Pezinok, while Kosovo’s Olympic medallists Distria Krasniqi and Laura Fazliu joined sessions in Banská Bystrica. “They shared valuable techniques and insights that gave our team a real boost,” said Tománek.
Patrícia Tománková also praised the journey: “We trained hard, first in Japan, then Spain. Competing at home is extra motivation and I believe it will push us all to give our very best.”
Front row, from left: Lenka Tománková, Patrícia Tománková, Jozef Tománek, Juraj Odkladal © Silvia Tománková
Ticket Information
Fans will have the chance to witness Europe’s brightest talents and cheer on the Slovak team live:
- Day ticket: €10 (valid all day, including finals)
- Discounted ticket: €5 (children, pensioners, disabled)
- Full event pass: €30 (€15 discounted)
- Tickets are general admission (sector-only).
- Available via Ticketportal: Click Here
Images: Silvia Tománková
Author: Szandra Szogedi