The draw for the EJU World Cup in Bucharest brought in a number of nice matches to look forward. At the EJU World Cup on Saturday one of the most interesting matches can be expected in the U81 category with some experienced judokas starting. Claudiu Bastea (ROM) has a bye in the first round, but may meet Slovenian Champion Aljaz Sedej in the next round who won European bronze in April. Last year’s Tournoi de Paris winner Sergiy Toma (MDA) is free in the first round too.
Francesco Bruyere (ITA), silver medalist at the 2005 World Championships meets former Swiss Champion Micha Egger.
Home favorite Dan Fasie (U66) starts against former European cadets champion Andriy Burdun (UKR).
A number of national champions are warming up to start in Bucharest under 73 kilogramme. Amongst them Dex Elmont, European silver medalist in Tbilisi. As well as Luca Poeta (ITA), Attila Ungvari (HUN) and Mohamed Riad (FRA), the silver medalist at the IJF Grand Prix in Tunis.
In Bucharest there’s a variety of countries participating for the medals. Also a team from North Korea, Brazil and the United Stated will join.
In the U100 kilogramme category Daniel Hadfi (HUN) and Vitaliy Bubon (UKR) seemed to be favourites based on their experience to reach the quarterfinal. In the other side Lukas Krpalek (CZE), world junior champion of 2008 can show his skills against Leandro Goncalves (BRA) who became Brazilian national champion in August 2008.
Ukrainian champion Vitaliy Polyanskyy will fight Romanian junior champion Lorand Samel.
Two ‘old’ Romanian athletes Valeriu Perdivara, aged 38, as well as Gabriel Munteanu, now 36 years are drawn on the same side and can meet in the semi-final. But they have tough opponents: Perdivara – Christoffer Johansson (SWE) and Walter Santos, last year’s Pan American champion will fight the experienced Munteanu.
Profile Daniel Hadfi (HUN)
Weight: 100kg
Age: 27
Major honours:
7th at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games
World Championships bronze in 2007
European Championships title: 2007, silver in 2006
2 World Cup wins: Budapest 2005, Tournoi de Paris 2007
Major European rivals: Tagir Khaibulaev (RUS), Soslan Tmenov (RUS), Henk Grol (NED), Elco van der Geest (NED), Ariel Zeevi (ISR), Yauhen Biadulin (BLR), Daniel Brata (ROM), Jevgenijs Borodavko (LAT), Przemyslaw Matyjaszek (POL), Matthieu Bataille (FRA).
Join us at http://www.eju.net on Saturday and Sunday with our live results coverage.
Please find below the draw for the World Cup Men in Bucharest (ROU) 2009. The PDF-List for the -90 kg category will be included soon!
By Hans van Essen, EJU Media and PR Director
