More than 500 athletes prepare at Training Centre Papendal

Many satisfied judoka can be seen at the International Training Camp in the Netherlands. The first official OTC in the new accommodation at the national training centre at ‘Papendal’ close to Arnhem. The venue was host of an international training centre as well in the ninetees and hosted the 1993 Junior European Championships.

However since the new Judo training hall was founded two years ago there was space for the start of a training centre and last year 8 countries were happy to use the fantastic facilities of the Dutch Judo Federation at the National Olympic Committee centre. Head coach Maarten Arens who was an athlete himself in the time the top athlete came to train in Papendal in the ninetees was very satisfied about the progression of the OTC made in one year.

This year 37 countries are participating with lot of top athletes, mainly European and happy faces after they saw the gym and spacy hall where more than 500 athletes are gathered. Equally divided by men and women, so enough sparring partners for each athlete of which most are in the preparation of the World Championships in Baku. Also the top team of Azerbaijan is present, obviously a huge Dutch team. Most athletes also live at the training centre.

Athletes such as Olympic Champions Majlinda Kelmendi and Tina Trstenjak and 2017 World Champion Clarisse Agbegnenou are present, although the French came on her own enjoying a period of a break. A small Georgian team with World Ranking leaders Tushishvili and Liparteliani and many familiar faces like the successful team of Kosovo, a full British squad, the talented Danish team, Belgian athletes including Olympic bronze medallist Dirk van Tichelt and World Junior Champion Matthias Casse. A small Serbian team including World number one Aleksandar Kukolj is preparing on Dutch ground and strong Slovenians like Olympic medallists Trstenjak and Velensek. On Monday the German women’s team came to train although they have their own training camp in Kienbaum but the Germans have a warm connection to the Dutch and visit Papendal more often. The Hungarian team with Toth, Ungvari(s) and many others, the Austrians including Sabrina Filzmoser who will fight her 13^th World Championships, the Israeli women’s team who in the past hosted many Dutch and international athletes are now guest in the Netherlands.

The Dutch are eager to take a medal in Baku after the disappointing 2017 Worlds in Budapest have World number one Guusje Steenhuis as candidate for a gold medal as well as ten top 10 athletes in the current world ranking including Michael Korrel and Frank de Wit. As always the Dutch have enough chances to medal at the World Championships and with the facilities at Papendal results should speak for themselves, even at World level. Good training partners will help everyone for the optimal preparation. Many of them came from Minsk last week which is quite the opposite when it comes to facilities, but both OTCs have their own charm. Despite some injuries happy faces in the training hall and gym with three weeks to go for the kick-off of the World Championships.