They got their chance and they loved every second: about 200 young judoka from Georgia, Greece, Ukraine and Armenia joined the EJU Kids Camp at the European Senior Championships Tbilisi 2026 in the Georgian capital. Bright eyed and excited, the youngsters aged 8 to 16 years trained together, watched and listened when the 2016 Olympic silver medalist Varlam Liparteliani and 2023 European Junior Champion Tengo Zirakashvili demonstrated their techniques. Already being at the Georgian national training center where so many top athletes were formed, was inspiring for the next generation.
“At this camp you can learn a lot of new things and meet new people,” said Zarina Akimova. The 14-year-old is one of 24 athletes from Ukraine that take part in the camp. She is from Kyiv and has been practicing judo for about five years. “I train five times a week,” she shared. She especially likes Japanese style judo.
Viacheslav Poghosyan is part of the Armenian delegation that includes eight judoka. Although he is only 12 years old, Viacheslav takes his sport very seriously. “Judo is my life,” he noted. “I love everything about it. Taking part in this camp means a lot to me. I can learn from champions and get new experience.”
Iris Valsami from Greece got an early start in the sport: “I was two and a half or three years old when I started.” The 16-year-old followed her older brother on to the tatami and never regretted it. “I like the judo family that we are and how we are all together, how we go together to championships.
“Here, I want to see and learn different techniques,” the teenager, who looks up to Distria Krasniqi from Kosovo and to Varlam Liparteliani, said. To watch the great Georgian Champion live was very special and the photo session with the stars at the end obviously was a highlight. Thirty-two athletes from Greece are part of the camp.
The majority of kids obviously came from the host country Georgia. One of them is Demetre Bakuridze, who got very excited about taking part in the camp. “Judo is such a fun sport, it is so beautiful, it is just perfect,” the 12-year-old commented. “It is great to practice with my friends, making new friends from other countries and learning together. Varlam and Tengo are the perfect judoka for me, so seeing them here is great.”
The EJU Kids Camp continues this week during the European Senior Championships Tbilisi 2026.
Author: Tatjana Flade
Author: EJU Media