More than 500 youngsters were in action at the British School Championships at iceSheffield on Saturday 8 March.

Action took place over seven mats at the 1,200 capacity arena as parents came out in force to support their children in one of the biggest development events of the year.

The event provides an opportunity for young judoka to showcase their talents on a national level and possibly catch the attention of those in charge of the performance pathway.

A number of international athletes have been involved with the British Schools system on their way to representing Great Britain including former squad members Winston Gordon, Dennis Stewart, Densign White and Nicola Fairbrother to name but a few.

Chairman of the British Schools Commission (BSJC), Malcolm Collins said: “We are the base of the pathway and if you don’t build a good base you don’t have a good foundation.”

“I am very pleased with the event and the organisation and effort that the BJA has put into the event.

“Volunteers are the lifeblood of this event and we couldn’t have done this without their help.

“Everyone who took part in the event as a competitor and as a volunteer deserves ample recognition.”

Bill Webb, Vice Chairman of the BSJC added: “The British Schools event is a great opportunity for schoolchildren and in the future we are looking towards categorising competitions and provide a suitable field of play to increase the level of participation.”

To view the medal winners from today’s event click here to see the full results.

The flagship event encourages participation in the sport with many schools from across the country taking part.
Ian said: “I got involved in the commission as I wanted to lend my marketing and commercial experience.
Luke I have done judo for 23 years, and wanted to contribute more to strategic information as I used to teach. The whole goal of our commission is to integrate judo within the education system. Because of its unique history it offers a lot to the education system. It ticks the boxes for the schools, key stage two and three, some of the cultural aspects of the game.