European Judo Championships Juniors The Hague 2023 - The Hague, Netherlands

ESTONIA PREPARES FOR JUNIORS 2024

As we approach the close of the Junior European Judo Championships 2023 in The Hague, we are already looking to the future. President of the Estonian Judo Association, Mr Kaido KALJULAID was here in the Netherlands to accept the flag hand over. One of the most important aspects for us…

10 September 2023

European Judo Championships Juniors The Hague 2023 - The Hague, Netherlands

GEORGIA TAKES ON THE NETHERLANDS IN HISTORIC FINAL

Concluding the Junior European Judo Championships in The Hague, Netherlands was the Mixed Team event. Georgia vs France The +70kg were first up, yesterdays silver medallist in the -78kg category, Morgane RUBIANO (FRA) took on Nino PAPIDZE, thirty seconds in, Rubiano used a high cross grip from Papidze to attack…

10 September 2023

European Judo Championships Juniors The Hague 2023 - The Hague, Netherlands

HANS, THE INSIDER

Whoever talks about judo in the Netherlands will sooner or later not get past Hans VAN ESSEN. As an athlete, he won the Veenendaal City Championships 6 times and was also able to assert himself on the regional stage. “But from an international point of view, I simply wasn’t good…

10 September 2023

European Judo Championships Juniors The Hague 2023 - The Hague, Netherlands

VIRTUAL TOUR - OLYMPIC TRAINING CENTRE PAPENDAL

10 September 2023

European Judo Championships Juniors The Hague 2023 - The Hague, Netherlands

HAT-TRICK IN THE HAGUE

The third and final day of individual competition in the Junior European Judo Championships 2023 was a great one for the host nation, Netherlands, with a potential for three gold medals. First up was Lars VAN OOSTRUM (NED) taking on the defending -90kg junior European champion, Vugar TALIBOV (AZE). The…

9 September 2023

European Judo Championships Juniors The Hague 2023 - The Hague, Netherlands

LIVING THE OLYMPIC DREAM

It was a historic moment: for the first time in EJU history, a Cypriot reached an under-21 European Championship final. Giannis ANTONIOU, 18 years old and already number 5 in the junior world rankings. What may have come as a surprise to others is almost a matter of course for…

9 September 2023

European Judo Championships Juniors The Hague 2023 - The Hague, Netherlands

STUDENT DISCOVERS WINNING FORMULA

Name: Lars VAN OOSTRUM. Occupation: Econometrics student (3rd year). Place of residence: Groningen. He didn’t stand on a podium internationally until 2023. This summer he attracted first attention at the Junior European Cups in Graz and Groningen with 3rd place in both. But the (first Dutch) gold medal winner at…

9 September 2023

European Judo Championships Juniors The Hague 2023 - The Hague, Netherlands

THE VOICE OF HEERENVEEN

“WELKOM IN JUDOSTAD DEN HAAG.” The Zuidenpark sports campus is upside down. Every child in the Netherlands knows Jan VAN DER MEULEN, or rather his voice. “GAAT ALLES GOED?” The 51-year-old sports presenter is an institution at the speed skating events in Heerenveen and the Amsterdam Marathon, or more precisely…

9 September 2023

European Judo Championships Juniors The Hague 2023 - The Hague, Netherlands

DUTCH COME ALIVE ON FINAL DAY

Unfortunately for the Dutch Judo team, they hadn’t had the best luck performing in the Junior European Judo Championships in The Hague, but today, the third and final day, was something different. Out of the five weight categories, all but one had Dutch representatives in the semi final, three of…

9 September 2023

European Judo Championships Juniors The Hague 2023 - The Hague, Netherlands

"OUR DREAM IS TEAM GOLD!"

European Judo Championships Junior organiser Thomas VAN GESTEL and his 130-strong team are making sure everything runs smoothly in The Hague. All of them – including the 33-year-old tournament director – are volunteers. The organising committee was founded three years ago, and the preparations have been in full swing for…

9 September 2023

European Judo Championships Juniors The Hague 2023 - The Hague, Netherlands

FRANK THE PHYSIO

In many cases, athletes transition to become coaches and pass on their knowledge to the next generation, but for Frank DE WIT of the Netherlands, he is following in his brothers foot steps to become a physiotherapist, arguably a judoka’s best friend. During the Covid 19 pandemic, the IJF World…

9 September 2023

European Judo Championships Juniors The Hague 2023 - The Hague, Netherlands

MADDALONI NOSA RECTIFIES FINAL

With two gold medals won by Italy today, their team leads in the standings with four gold, one silver and bronze, followed by Georgia and Azerbaijan. Melkia AUCHECORNE (FRA), the number one seed of the -63kg category fought her way to the final and was close to scoring initially with…

8 September 2023

European Judo Championships Juniors The Hague 2023 - The Hague, Netherlands

ESTEEMED AWARDS IN THE HAGUE

On the second day of the Junior European Judo Championships in The Hague, the Dutch Judo Federation commemorated some of the greatest figures from their organisation during the opening ceremony. Vice president of the Dutch Judo Federation and Tournament Director, Thomas van Gestel gave the opening speech, It is with…

8 September 2023

European Judo Championships Juniors The Hague 2023 - The Hague, Netherlands

FINALISTS AGAIN: MADDALONI NOSA AND NOVITZKI

On the second day of the Junior European Judo Championships 2023, two of four of the number one seeds managed to secure their places in their respective finals, but with great difficulty as the level of competition was so great. Giorgi TERASHVILI (GEO) was an immediate threat in the -73kg…

8 September 2023

European Judo Championships Juniors The Hague 2023 - The Hague, Netherlands

FELIPE GIVES HIS FAREWELL

When Felipe KITADAI, an Olympic bronze medallist (2012) and Pan American champion (2011) in his active career, took up his first coaching job in Austria in March 2022, his German was still a little bumpy. The 34-year-old Brazilian connected the legendary January training camp in Mittersill and his friendship with…

8 September 2023

European Judo Championships Juniors The Hague 2023 - The Hague, Netherlands

TONIOLO CONTINUES COLLECTION

It was the perfecting opening for the Junior European Judo Championships 2023 in The Hague, Netherlands as Merve AZAK (TUR) defended her title in the -48kg category. Last year was very difficult for Azak who went head to head with a team mate to take junior gold in Prague last…

7 September 2023

European Judo Championships Juniors The Hague 2023 - The Hague, Netherlands

AZAK AND SALONEN LOOK TO DEFEND JUNIOR GOLD

Though the top seeds in the -60kg and -66kg categories; Marcus AUER (AUT) and Eran FIKS (ISR) weren’t so lucky and suffered defeat in their respective quarter finals to see them in to the repechage contests, the women sold a different story.  In the -48kg category, defending junior European champion,…

7 September 2023

European Judo Championships Juniors The Hague 2023 - The Hague, Netherlands

REFEREES PREPARE FOR JUNIOR EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

For those referees circulating on the IJF World Tour, a meeting prior to the tournament starting, whereby the referees go on to the tatami to discuss, and prepare for the upcoming event, is not unusual. However this is the first time that the European Judo Union have prepared in such…

6 September 2023