Our Kata competitors have been longing to return to competition following the pandemic and we have finally been able to come back. Poland have welcomed both the junior and senior competitors for the Kata European Championships 2021.
EJU Vice President, Jane Bridge was in attendance,
We could feel a real buzz of excitement and anticipation from the judoka engaged in the Kata European Championships 2021. The level of organisation has really gone to another level with the inclusion of digital scoring. The Polish Judo Federation were really professional with “kata addicts” leading the way for the organisation. The level of the competition was high if we take into consideration the lack of training and competing that judo has been faced with for the past 18 months.
We were pleasantly surprised with the level and numbers of juniors competing. This was the first year as an official Junior European Championship and we anticipate this event to really take off in the following years. Next year we will bring back the full program with the Special Needs Cup and Enbu competition. We encourage national federations to promote the participation of kata in their clubs. It is an important part of judo training and encourages alternatives to main stream competing and enhances technical training and skills.
With over 80 inscriptions in Warsaw, there was a great environment and a good feeling welcoming the juniors. We look forward to getting back to normal with many more entries and hopefully a greater junior entry as we encourage kata among judoka of all ages.
Find the full gallery from the Kata European Judo Championships 2021 here.
Author: Thea Cowen