In April, the European Judo Union (EJU) delivered a packed calendar of events across all age groups. Among the 10 events organised, the Senior European Championships were complemented by the EJU Kids Camp, alongside the Judo Hopes Tournament, the Get Together Tournament, Cadet and Junior European Cups, a Veteran European Cup, and a series of age-group training camps hosted in Hungary, Azerbaijan, Italy, Lithuania and Germany.
Across 38 days of competition, a total of 3,854 judoka took part in these 10 events. The largest turnout was recorded in Berlin, where 737 athletes from 35 nations competed in the ‘Millennium Team’ Cadet European Cup and the subsequent three-day training camp.
In total, 47 nations secured medals during April’s EJU events, 40 from Europe, two from the Americas, one from Australia and four from Asia, with 34 countries claiming at least one gold medal. This remarkable spread underlines both the depth and the global reach of European judo.
The month began in Tata with the EJU Olympic Training Centre camp, welcoming 461 judoka from 44 countries over five days. Ganja followed with yet another edition of the ‘Millennium Team’ Cadet European Cup and training camp. In Lignano, the Junior European Cup returned for its 13th edition since 2011, once again attracting a strong international field.
Sarajevo hosted the Judo Hopes Tournament, bringing together 574 young judoka from 21 nations, while Kortrijk staged the first-ever Triglav Insurance Get Together Tournament, highlighting the continued growth and importance of adapted judo within the EJU calendar.
The highlight of the month came in Tbilisi, Georgia, where the Senior European Championships took place from 16–19 April. Seventeen years after the city last hosted the event, Georgia topped the medal table with four golds, followed by France and Russia. The championships once again demonstrated the intensity and prestige of Europe’s premier senior competition.
Alongside the championships, Tbilisi also welcomed the EJU Kids Camp, offering young judoka a unique opportunity to engage with the sport at an international level.
Veteran athletes took centre stage in Warsaw, where 220 competitors from 28 nations competed in the Veteran European Cup, while Kaunas and Berlin concluded the month with Junior and Cadet European Cups and their respective training camps, continuing long-standing traditions on the EJU calendar.
If combined into a single medal table for April, Poland would lead the standings, followed by Belgium and Serbia, with Ukraine and Germany completing the top five. This consolidated ranking reflects not only success at individual events but also consistent performance across multiple competitions throughout the month.
April demonstrated the scale, diversity and strength of judo across Europe and beyond, reaffirming EJU’s commitment to delivering opportunities at every level of the sport.
April Medal Table
Author: EJU Media