The Abu Dhabi World Veteran Championships take place in Abu Dhabi this week.

A 22-strong GB Judo team has travelled to the UAE capital city for the championships which start on Tuesday.

Two-time veteran World Champion, Natasha Glassford returns to defend the title she won in Krakow in 2022. The -63kg fighter won her first Veteran World Championship title at the 2019 championships in Marrakech.

There is another defending champion in the -78kg category, as Danielle Batt returns to the world stage. Batt finished 4^th at the European Veteran Championships earlier this year.

2018 European Veteran Championship bronze medallist, Emma Delaney, makes her World Championship debut in the -70kg category.

Completing the women’s team is Caroline Brayson, who only made her international debut earlier this year, with a 4^th place finish at the European Veteran Championships in Podcetrtek, Slovenia. She will fight in the -63kg category in Abu Dhabi.

For the men, Mark Costiff will be looking to add the gold medal he won in 2019 when he competes in the -60kg category.

-81kg judoka Martin Shotbolt claimed silver at the 2021 World Championships in Lisbon. 2022 silver medallist and 1984 Olympian Nicholas Kokotaylo will be in action in the +100kg category.

2018 European Champion Thomas Moyse is the oldest GB Judo competitor in action at the age of 73. He will compete in the -90kg category.

Bogdan Lica makes his 3^rd appearance on the World Veteran Championship stage. With two bronze medals from the 2021 and 2022 Championships, the +100kg judoka will be hoping to improve upon his podium placing in Abu Dhabi. Kevin Ede (-73kg) and Ashley Parrette (-90kg) also make their third appearances at the World Veteran Championships.

2023 European Veteran Championship 7^th place finisher, John Thacker (-81kg) makes his 7^th appearance at the World Veteran Championships. Joseph Williams (+100kg) makes his 3^rd World Veteran Championship appearance after his 5^th place finish at the 2022 Championships. Meanwhile, there are 2^nd appearances on this stage for Christopher Horton (-100kg) and Peter Hoar (-81kg).

Horton finished 7^th at the 2021 World Veteran Championships whilst Hoar finished 7^th at the 2023 European Veteran Championships.

There are seven judoka making their World Veteran Championship debuts in Abu Dhabi: Tibor Banyai (-73kg), Simon Twigg (-81kg), Winston Ginsberg (-90kg), Shaun Mitty (-90kg), David Bostock-Smith (-100kg), Mark McCallum (+100kg) and Yousef Alfajare (+100kg).

Keep up with all the action from the Abu Dhabi World Veteran Championships LIVE at live.ijf.org each day.

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