British Judo is getting ready to host a spectacular weekend of judo and will welcome more than 400 different schools at iceSheffield on Saturday March 7, 2015 as well as 300 junior and senior competitors to the English Open on Sunday March 8, 2015. Members of the British Judo Board of Directors will also be amongst the spectators during both competitions.

The 525 players attending the school’s event will be supported by more than 254 registered coaches on Saturday. The schools event is a development event but also a potential opportunity for coaches to spot the stars of the future.

The English Open on Sunday is a domestic ranking event that carries important ranking points contributing towards individuals’ places on the British ranking list.

Many of the juniors and seniors attending will be looking to cement their place at the British Championships at the end of the year as this is one of the events that carries points towards qualification.

Additionally, some of the juniors aiming for the next European Cup in Portugal next week will be attending as part of their development for that competition.

At the English Open, more than 76 clubs for junior and 90 clubs are represented in the junior and senior categories. Individual players will be supported by 133 registered coaches at the English Open and all of the junior players that are attending the English Open will also be at the 2015 European Cup in Portugal next week.

Enfield’s Wesley Greenidge is one of 11 members who will be competing in the +100kg senior men’s category. He will be doing the double at junior and senior level in his very first English Open.

Wesley started off in judo aged six and he later joined Enfield Judo Club. His first judo competition was at the British Schools a number of years ago.

He said: “I am looking forward to the event and training hard at the club. I enjoyed the British Schools and now I’m looking forward to my first English Open.”

In fact, Enfield Judo club have five entrants. Philip Awiti-Alcaraz will be back defending his senior title and accompanied by brother and sister Joshua and Prisca who will be fighting at the junior level. Reece Thompson, who now attends Loughborough University will also be going for the double at the event in the -90kg category.

Others going for the double include: Kelly Staddon of Ford Judo Club, Lulu Piovesana of Bishop Challoner and Lele Nairne of Bradley Stoke, all hoping to perform in the junior and senior competitions.

Twins Rachel and Sally Moon of Wolverhampton, who scooped gold and silver at the British Championships last December, will be back in action together fighting at -78kg.

Rachel took the double in junior and senior categories at the English open last year and both Chelsie and Joshua Giles will also be competing making for some exciting family judo at the event.

British Judo is looking forward to an exciting couple of days of judo both at home and abroad. We wish all of our competitors the very best of luck.

For a full list of entrants and other information, click here: https://bja.platform81.com/news/entry-list-for-the-2015-english-open-championships-now-available.

The weekend will also see British Judo players competing on the world stage including at the Pan American Open Santiago de Chile and the European Judo Union Swiss Judo Open. We would also like to wish them luck.

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