Glasgow hosts European Open this Saturday

The British Judo Association will host the Glasgow European Judo Open for men at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow for the third year running. The action takes place throughout Saturday 10th October and will be one of the highlights of this year’s British Judo events calendar with vital Olympic qualification points on offer.

Overall, 159 athletes, representing 39 nations have confirmed their attendance and will look to gain valuable world ranking points in their quest to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Competitors range from as far afield as Australia, USA and Argentina as well as European competitors including, French and Dutch judoka.

Amongst the home British team are three 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games champions, who will be returning to Glasgow with fond memories. Competing against the strong British team will be athletes from around the globe including European and World medallists.

Both France and Italy will have a strong presence with 13 and 14 entries respectively. Representation from the Netherlands, Germany and Mexico will also be looking to make an impact with teams of over seven competitors.

Former World Military Championships gold medallist and European Championships silver medallist, Italian Antonio Ciano (U81kg) is currently in 18th place in the Olympic Games qualification (OGQ) and will be looking to strengthen his position in Glasgow.

Ciano is not the only international athlete looking to boost their Rio chances in Glasgow. British judoka Ashley McKenzie (U60kg) will be returning to competitive judo after missing out on the World Championships through injury.

A number of talented young European fighters will be in action including Dutch U81kg Junior European champion Frank De Wit, who defeated Britain’s Stuart McWatt in the semi-finals at this year’s Junior European Championships. Saturday could see a rematch with both players taking to the mat in the U81kg category. Other young competitors aiming to make an impression in Glasgow are Portugal’s Nuno Saraiva, who took bronze at U73kg in the Junior World Championships last year and France’s Benjamin Axus, U73kg Junior European champion in 2014.