A landmark event brought together judoka with intellectual impairments (IQ of 75 and below) from 11 countries are ready to showcase their exceptional talent and determination at the Sporthal de Wetteling Venray as the Open European Judo Championships Intellectual Impairment Venray 2024 is ready to begin. This inclusive competition celebrates the diversity of judo with referees representatives from the Netherlands, Great Britain, Germany and Poland.
DIVISIONING
The official divisioning took place this afternoon, during which final details were settled whilst athletes were assessed and assigned to the appropriate groups to ensure their safety. The levels are as follow:
Level L1: practice within mainstream environments, judo skills are comparable and achieve high quality performance levels. Fast and powerful and excellent strategic applications
Level L2: impaired applied skills with the ability to achieve good technical content. Moderate reactivity with limited strategic applications.
All contests will adhere to International Judo Federation (IJF) rules, with specific adaptations to ensure the safety and fairness:
Prohibited Techniques
- No direct drop to one or two knees to apply techniques
- No Sutemi-waza, Kansetsu-waza, Shime-waza or Sankaku-waza
- No encircling of the head or neck (Kube-Nage)
Newaza
- Kesa Gatame is allowed but the hand must not encircle the neck, and the palm must remain flat on the floor.
In the early hours of the evening, the official draw took place, followed by a refereeing meeting. The divisioning is done and the draw is completed. This inarguably event is ready to begin! Watch all actions live online via the following link.
This historic event exemplifies the potential of adaptive sports to foster inclusivity and celebrate the unique abilities of athletes. It set a powerful example of judo’s capacity to unite people and create meaningful opportunities for all.
Author: Szandra Szogedi