The European Judo Union Get Together Tour continued over this past weekend in Swansea, Wales, incorporating the British Judo Adaptive Championships. The event was hosted by the Welsh Judo Association in collaboration with Disability Sport Wales and was a resounding success, and was given a big thumbs up by EJU Medical Commissioner, Dr Zurab KAKHABRISHVILI.
This is my first time at an adapted judo event, I am so happy that I can look at the athletes’ faces and see how happy they are before the competition, and after! Looking around, I can see that adapted judo isn’t just about the family, but the social factor it offers the athletes, you are giving them a chance, taking them away from the home, away from computers and providing this opportunity. It is a motivation and new life!
Dr Kakhabrishvili is a legend in the judo world, a successful former athlete, referee, progressing to being one of the most notable doctors on the elite circuit. He is also member of the Georgian National Olympic Committee, the Secretary General of the Georgian Sports Medicine Association and a Professor of Tbilisi State Medical University.
I want to say thank you to the EJU and the work for adapted judo that I have seen this week, every day there are big progressions in this sport, so thank you to our presidents, to Laszlo Toth and Marius Vizer. We like to stand by what we say, and we can really say that judo is more than sport.
Author: Thea Cowen