Author/Images: António da Costa
Activity on the tatami continued at the Portimão Arena with the Portimão/Algarve EJU Junior Training Camp 2026, which took place on 9-10 March, bringing together more than 100 athletes from various nationalities. The training camp followed the Portimão Junior European Cup 2026, held on 7-8 March, extending the international presence in the Algarve city and offering young judoka an additional opportunity for technical and competitive development.
Over two days of intense work, athletes took part in bi-daily training sessions, held in the morning and afternoon. The sessions were led by Portugal’s national coach, Pedro Soares, creating an environment of sharing and learning among judoka from different countries. Among the participants were also three Olympic athletes: João Fernando and Bárbara Timo representing Portugal, as well as Mariana Esteves representing Guinea. The presence of these athletes added quality and experience to the camp, allowing younger judoka to share the tatami with competitors accustomed to the highest international stages.
For Bárbara Timo, this type of training camp plays a key role in the development of younger athletes.
“It is important for them to understand that judo is not only about competition. Most of judo is about training hard and being resilient. Here they step out of their comfort zone and have the opportunity to train with athletes they would normally only meet in competition,” explained the Portuguese Olympic judoka.
João Fernando also highlighted the importance of such gatherings for athletes’ growth.
“These camps remain very important because they bring together people from different parts of the world. For me, as an Olympic athlete, any training partner is valuable and often simply observing how someone trains allows you to learn something. When I was a junior and had this opportunity, I just wanted to train with whichever Olympic athlete was on the tatami and perhaps the same thing is happening now with these younger athletes.”
One of the interesting aspects of this training camp was the presence of Paula Saldanha on the tatami, now in her role as a coach. She accompanied athletes from her club just one day after fulfilling the role of IJF international referee during the Portimão Junior European Cup.
The former Olympic athlete, who represented Portugal at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games and was European silver medallist in 1999 in the -52 kg category, also emphasised the value of these moments for refereeing development.
“Training camps are real laboratories for work and evolution. Being on the tatami, observing situations and understanding how athletes fight helps us study judo better and make faster and more accurate decisions,” she stated.
The next Junior European Cup will take place in Poznan, Poland between 28-29 March, where a three-day training camp will follow the event once again.
Author: EJU Media