The next to last European Judo Hopes Cup & Technical Session Kodokan Experts event took place in Brno, Czechia, between 5-6 October 2024. With over 300 participants from 97 judo clubs across 19 nations, the event was a major success. The weekend was highlighted by the presence of two judo legends: Misato Nakamura, a double Olympic medallist (2008, 2016) and triple World Champion, and Majlinda Kelmendi, the double World Champion and Olympic Champion from 2016.
Both icons of the sport shared their knowledge and experience with the young judoka, offering inspiration and technical guidance. Majlinda Kelmendi, known for her fierce competitive spirit and historic accomplishments for Kosovo, praised the event’s focus on the pre-cadet age group whilst reflected on the importance of it;
It is a good idea to have this pre-cadet category for many reasons, one of which is understanding the bridge between the pre-cadet and cadet stages. For example, I have a 14-year-old judoka who is good, but for cadet competition, he is simply not ready to go up against 16-17-year-olds. At that age, 2-3 years can make a big difference. All in all it is a great initiative.
Kelmendi also expressed her enjoyment at reconnecting with Misato Nakamura, her old rival and friend, noting,
We spent the entire day together, from morning to evening. It was so nice to share the tatami again with her, as we hadn’t seen each other since the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, Nakamura, a revered figure in Japanese judo, praised the event for its positive impact on young judoka. She suggests enhancements for future events;
The Hopes Cup is truly wonderful. It provides a great experience for U15 judoka. If possible, it might be a good idea to hold the technical session after the competition. I think they would have a hard time concentrating on the session if they have a contest coming up.
Although the high turnout was considered a success, Nakamura offered her guidance for potentially better setup in the future;
Friday was a little hazardous because of the large number of people. If there are more participants, I think increasing the number of tatami would help improve operations.
The event in Brno was the second-to-last stop in the 2024 series of the European Judo Hopes Cup & Technical Session with Kodokan Experts. The final event will take place in Riga, Latvia, from 16-17 November 2024. As the series draws to a close, young judoka across Europe will have one last opportunity to learn from the best and showcase their potential in this unique competition and training environment.
This weekend in Brno, with its combination of high-level judo and hands-on instruction from two of the sport’s greats, will surely be remembered as a key stepping stone in the development of many future champions. The pair showed great sportsmanship and demonstrated how the concept of the judo family truly works in practice.
Images: Vojtěch Pazdera / Majlinda Kelmendi
Author: Szandra Szogedi