Author: António da Costa
On 7–8 March, we return to Portimão, the furthest southwestern city on the EJU junior calendar. Portimão is one of the best-known cities in the Algarve, a region predominantly associated with summer tourism, yet rich in history and home to some of the most advanced sports and maritime facilities in Portugal. Popularly known as the capital of the sardine and one of the sunniest cities in the country, with an average of over 300 days of sunshine per year, we are eager to discover who will shine brightest at the 2026 edition of the Portimão Junior European Cup.
Nearly 400 judoka, representing 23 countries across four continents, will arrive in Portimão, for the third event of the EJU Junior Tour. Portimão offers some of the finest sports facilities in Portugal, including the Algarve International Circuit, which has previously hosted Formula 1 and MotoGP races. For the Portimão Junior European Cup, nothing less than excellence is expected in terms of the venue and overall infrastructure provided to the delegations. This is precisely why the Portimão Arena was chosen as the stage for this major event. Those who visited in 2025 know that the conditions provided were of the highest standard and the local organising team does everything possible to ensure that, during their stay, Portimão feels like home to everyone.
This year, 11 judoka will compete while holding top ten positions in the Junior World Ranking List (WRL) in their respective categories. Special mention goes to the Moroccan team, which fields four athletes in these positions, including Yasmine Hariss, WRL No. 1 in the -70kg category. Also travelling to Portimão are two more Moroccan athletes ranked WRL No. 2: Amina Alaoui Cherifi (-52kg) and Famita Ezzahra Nidaoui (-48kg). The highest-ranked European athletes visiting Portimão are both ranked WRL No. 3: Croatia’s Jana Cvjetko (-70kg) and Italy’s Cinzia Caponetto (-78kg).
The highest-ranked male athlete in the field is Sweden’s Narek Vardanian (-73kg), currently WRL No. 4. He is joined by Italy’s Lucio Tavoletta (-73kg), WRL No. 8, and Canada’s Artem Neyolov (-81kg), WRL No. 9, completing the list of top 10 WRL athletes competing in Portimão. Portugal will present the third-largest delegation at the event, with several athletes already accustomed to competitions at this level. One member of the Portuguese team is Victor Antunes, who finished seventh in the -90kg category in 2025 and does not hide his ambition for more this year:
“I feel better prepared this year and motivated to surpass my 2025 result and fight for a medal.”
Beyond competing at home and in front of his own crowd, Antunes highlights other decisive factors for success: “With the experience I have in this type of tournament, emotional management, confidence and effectiveness at key moments are undoubtedly decisive factors in achieving good results…”
Marco Morais will lead the Portuguese national team onto the Portimão tatami. The national coach recognises the importance of the event, especially as it takes place in Portugal: “It is a competition of a very high level that will provide an extremely enriching experience for our athletes. Participating in events of this magnitude allows them to compete with some of the best judoka in the category, which is exactly where we want Portugal’s judoka to be.”
For Marco Morais, who is well accustomed to events of this nature around the world, the competition also serves as a true benchmark of the athletes’ current level and form: “This event is extremely important for Portuguese judo, serving as a barometer for coaches, clubs and athletes to gain a clear perception of the international level…”
The Portimão European Cup begins on 7 March, and on 8 March we will also celebrate International Women’s Day together, certainly with bouts of outstanding quality. Follow all actions live online via JudoTV.com.
Between 9–11 March, the international training camp integrated into the event will take place, bringing together the competing athletes. It will provide yet another opportunity to witness high-level judo, share experiences and gain valuable knowledge.
Author: EJU Media