This weekend will see more than 500 school children from across the country and hundreds more of the country’s best juniors and seniors compete in three seperate judo events over two days at the iceSheffield Arena.

Youngsters from across the country will be amongst some of those in action at the British Schools flagship event on the Saturday.

Meanwhile, on the Sunday, Sheffield-born judoka Samuel Hall will be just one of the hundreds of judoka hoping for success at in the two events running simultaneously for juniors and seniors that make up the English Open. Sam, fighting for Ryecroft in Nottingham, will looking to build on last year’s bronze success at junior level, but this time at senior level.

In returning to his home city, where he also became -60kg junior British Champion and senior silver medallist last December at the English Institute of Sport (EIS), Sam said: “Having trained at the Centre of Excellence in Walsall, it will be nice to return to my home city of Sheffield for the English Open.

“I am looking forward to competing in front of friends and family and I do think that Sheffield is lucky for me, having won gold and silver the British Championships there last December and bronze at the junior English Open last year.”

Over the next two years Sam aims to complete his junior career and hopefully improve on his senior ranking points as he makes the transition, and being on both squads is the perfect opportunity.

At senior level in the British Championships, he only lost out on gold at the Senior Championships to Olympian Ashley McKenzie, showing he is a force to be reckoned with.

The week after, Sam will be representing GB in the Junior European Cup in Coimbra, Portugal and following that a senior event in Bosnia.

Longer term, Sam has his sight set on the 2020 Olympics, having already tasted success at the European Youth Olympics where he represented team GB in Turkey in 2011 and took home a silver medal.

Sam has been practicing judo since the age of 11 and prior to his judo success, he used to be a platform diver for the Great Britain squad, in the same age class as Olympic bronze medallist Tom Daley.

He said: “I used to compete at the same age class as Tom, but then I discovered judo and had the chance to excel at this. Maybe I will meet Tom again at the Olympics in a few years time.

Sam is just one of hundreds of athletes entered. Entry lists for both events, taking place at the iceSheffield Arena can be found below.

British Schools
https://bja.platform81.com/enteronline/2014BSCEntryList.php

English Open

https://bja.platform81.com/enteronline/2014EOJSEntryList.php

Tickets will be available on the door on the morning of the events, please arrive early to avoid disappointment, doors open at 7am.

Provisional timetables for School Championships can be found here

British Schools
https://bja.platform81.com/sites/default/files/BSC%20Timetable.pdf

Words by Donna Richardson. Photo Mike Varey.