Great atmosphere, loud audience and strong fights made the sports hall Podčetrtek ecstatic for the weekend. The hall, which is close to Wellness Center Olympia, a paradise for many sports fans, athletes, coaches and also referees.
On the 11th and the 12th of June, Podčetrek, a beautiful village in Slovenia became a place to be for many judoka. Even thought the elites of the country were absent due to their preparation for the upcoming Olympic Games, the organizers were more than happy to welcome 317 judoka from 28 countries. 207 men and 111 women were fighting for points for the European judo ranking list. Rejuvenated Slovenian team had 18 competitors, 15 men and 3 women. At the end, Slovenia claimed 2 medals. Gold winning performance was delivered by Klara APOTEKAR in the -78kg category, whilst Andraz JEREB claimed silver in the -66kg category.
“This event is very important for our athletes because they can present themselves in front of the home crowd and we use it for screening for young talented athletes”, explained Slovenian woman headcoach, Fabjan Marjan.
This was for the 12th time in a row that the EuropeanJudo Cup was hosted in the city. “Whilst this competition became a tradition and we are proud to host this event, the tournament helps us to promote judo in Slovenia and Podčetrtek”, said Urska Žolnir, coach and member of the Judo Club Z’Dežele Sankaku Celje. Judo Club Z’Dežele Sankaku Celje and Slovenian Judo Federation (as an organizers) are very happy about great organization and the good collaboration with EJU.