Papendal Training Camp in Holland delivers top notch randori partners

The success of the Olympic Training Camp at Sports Centrum Papendal in the Netherlands is obvious. The usual beautiful and spacious hall cannot be used… it’s too small. More than 230 men on the mat and more than 150 women requires a change of the hall on the same training centre.

The quality is fantastic with lots of good training partners in each weight category. Even though some of the athletes cancelled at the last moment, also usual, but still the quality was outstanding, and definitely one of the best at all training camps.

The Netherlands doesn’t have that fancy beach (not at Papendal), doesn’t have the ultimate swimming pools, but has the best training facilities around of all OTC’s. With a spacious mat, enough people for 10 randori per session, an awesome gym and hotel facilities close to the venue. Maybe pricy as you can also choose for a camping site half an hour away, but with a focus on judo, it’s the top.

It attracted the top teams from Israel, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kazachstan, Croatia, Austria, Hungary and lots of other countries bringing in their top athletes. Even a junior team of Brazil combined the European Cup in Graz with the training camp and they are impressed and will come back.

From Sunday to Friday it will be crowded on the mat with World Champion such as Nils Stump and Inbar Lanir, the two Olympic Champions from Kosovo Krasniqi and Gjakova and former World Champions Tushishvili, Muki, Van ‘t End, Fonseca, Shavdatuashvili, Casse, Matic, Turoboyev and Smetov there are enough big names available this week at Papendal.