The Tata EJU OTC 2024 is the last official Olympic training camp ahead of the European Judo Championships Seniors Zagreb 2024. Hundreds gathered at the Tata Olympic Center and its surroundings to either final tune for Zagreb or complete a heavy load of training ahead of the worlds. We have checked in with a few coaches and athletes to see how their time has been at the Komárom-Esztergom County, northwestern Hungary.
European Champion 2023, Martti PUUMALAINEN (FIN);
The camp has been so far very good. I think the level is even higher than what it has been in the previous years. So it is just what we want at the moment, quality facilities with high quality opponents.
Head coach of the Swedish national team, Sally CONWAY;
Tata has been a fantastic camp for our athletes. The quality and the level of the camp is perfect for us. We have a young team here. It’s being a great experience for them. They are fighting hard and getting stuck in. They are making the most of asking and getting on with some of the top athletes and learning lots!! Ida is here preparing for the Europeans and the last few qualification tournament. So far it’s been perfect for her also. The sun has been shining too which is a bonus it’s been lovely. We are enjoying our time here. It’s a great atmosphere on and off the mat!
Head coach of the Hungarian women’s national team, BRAUN Akos;
It is always nice to have an event on home grounds, whether it be a competition or a training camp. It is certainly more comfortable. The camp is outstanding, both, in quality and quantity. We are doing the final push here ahead of the Europeans before fine tuning next week. We are grateful for all joining us this week.
Baku Grand Slam 2024 bronze medallist, GERCSAK Szabina (HUN);
The camp is fantastic. We have a wide variety of -70kg judoka so it is especially at good quality for me. There are athletes here from my weight division who are lower on the ranking but also some whom are above me, such as Barbara Matic, which again gives me a good selection of opponents to practice with. This camp is not only preparation for the Europeans but also part of our Olympic program, a team which I hope to be part of this summer.
World bronze medallist 2023, Giorgi SARDALASHVILI (GEO);
It’s nice to train here, not top -60kg but that’s ok because there are a lot of us and we fight in three groups. Finally it’s hot here, which is good for the weight [he laughs].
Head coach of the Irish national team, Nathon BURNS;
The Irish Judo team have consistently been coming to Tata OTC for a good amount of years now. We see it a staple camp on the calendar for us, not only for the great timing to prepare our High Performance team for the European Championships and the middle section of the IJF Tour, but also a fantastic camp for our pathway players to gain invaluable experience and high level training. But this year has took it to another level with the number of national teams here and the amount of athletes on the mat truly makes it a camp what can’t be missed. What also separates this to so many other big camps, is the facilities. With 2 very large dojo’s, the gym, the sauna and cold plunges, it literally ticks every box you need for a World class camp. All of this is topped off by the fantastic hosts, the Hungarian Judo Federation who make it all run like clock work and tirelessly help if anything is needed.
The Tata OTC is finishing on Saturday 13 April. Check out the full gallery via the following link.
Author: Szandra Szogedi