The junior calendar has reached its peak, with teams on the move across four consecutive weekends of high-level competition. The second stop on this demanding lap takes place in Paks, Hungary, where the next European Cup will unfold from 12–13 July. This year, the Paks event has reached one of its highest entries ever, with over 500 judoka from 39 nations registered to compete, a clear proof to its growing prestige on the junior circuit.
With a long-standing history and deep-rooted tradition, Paks holds a special place in Hungarian judo. It is the hometown of Hungary’s only Olympic judo champion, Kovács Antal, and also of Pupp Réka, two-time Olympian and double European Championships medallist.
As the next generation prepares to take to the tatami this weekend, Pupp reflected on the significance of the event and how it played a vital role in her own development:
“So, the Atomerőmű SE [the local judo club] has always been my home club, and they have been organising this European Cup for many years now. I took part even back in my cadet days, since it was such a major event held here at home. I was lucky enough to win a few medals too.
“That said, I never particularly liked competing at home, mostly because so many people were cheering for me, and my parents also came to watch. Still, I always managed to compete quite well. The pressure during the event, and the extra nerves that come with being on home ground, were always outweighed by the fact that, in the end, I usually found myself standing on the podium.
“I really believe that by now we are hosting a very high-standard event year after year, with strong and sizeable fields. It was already like that when I was competing. I remember one year, the exact same names were on the podium at the Junior European Championships as at the European Cup here in Paks, just in slightly different order. So I can definitely say that being able to take part in several Paks-hosted European Cups from my cadet years onwards played a significant role in my development.
“As for the work, well, yes, I have now been on ‘the other side’ for quite a few years, at least when it comes to this competition. This year I have taken on a key role, well, one that’s quite important to me, anyway. I will be handling the transfers, making sure everyone is where they need to be, on time. I am a little nervous, to be honest, because it’s a pretty complex task. So if one or two little hiccups happen along the way, I hope people will be understanding, I am still a beginner in this area”, she laughed.
The host nation, Hungary, will be represented by a 67-strong team. Among them are several rising talents who have already made a name for themselves at last month’s senior World Championships in Budapest. The event will be streamed live on JudoTV.com, with updates and behind-the-scenes content available throughout the weekend via the EJU’s official social media channels.
Author: Szandra Szogedi