Following the success of the Scottish Open at the weekend, it was brilliant to welcome international judoka to the National Training Centre for three days of training and collaboration.
Judoka from Canada, Japan, Greece and the Home Nations spent three days at the National Training Centre, taking part in a range of judo sessions and training exercises that provided valuable international experience on home soil.
The Canadian National Team Coach, Kouga Kagei highlighted the benefits to taking part in the camp following the tournament:
“The biggest benefit is the opportunity to reflect and improve immediately after a competition. Our athletes were able to work on the areas they identified during their matches, especially grip fighting, transitions, and tactical decision-making.
“Training with international athletes also gave them new perspectives and confidence. For the team, it strengthened our unity and focus moving forward.”
Reflecting on the key learnings from the camp, Canadian judoka Maxine Maruyama Prasard said: “I enjoyed the camp because I got to fight and train with people who are at a higher level of judo than me but were in my weight class. It’s hard sometimes to have a lot of girls who are in the –48kg and –52kg categories back in Canda so it was good for me to challenge myself.”
Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, the Performance Programme aims to continue supporting Scottish judoka while strengthening how we work with the wider judo community to prepare athletes for progression onto the GB World Class Performance Programme.
Speaking about the training sessions, Alberto Borin, JudoScotland Head of Performance said:
“It’s always great to have international judoka in the National Training Centre and we hope to continue to create these opportunities for Scottish judoka throughout the year.
“Training camps provide a great opportunity for athletes to train with different partners, learn from each other and expand their learning.”