The Scottish Open Judo Tournament takes place this weekend, marking the start of JudoScotland’s 2025 competition calendar.

The event returns to sportscotland National Centre, Inverclyde for the third year in a row for an exciting weekend of international judo. The event will see over 700 competitors take to the mat from over 16 nations, including Japan, the USA, Germany, France and the Home Nations.

This year’s event has a jam-packed programme in each category and will see the introduction of adapted categories on Saturday, bringing a new and inspiring dimension to the event while promoting inclusivity and accessibility. These categories provide judoka with an incredible opportunity to showcase their talents in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the sportscotland National Sports Centre, Inverclyde. The introduction of the adapted categories is perfectly timed to celebrate the remarkable growth of adapted Judo both nationally and internationally.

Kirsten Taylor, a member of the GB Visually Impaired Squad who narrowly missed out on Paris 2024, will take to the mat on Saturday. Joining her is Sean Allan from Castle Douglas Judo Club, coming off a stellar 2024 season that saw him clinch gold at the Open European Intellectual Impairment Championships in November.

Saturday will also feature competition in the Cadet and Veteran categories. In the Cadets, Luke Hunter (-46kg) and Archie Strang (-66kg) will aim to replicate their success at the British Championships in December, where both clinched gold. The Veterans’ competition promises to be a truly international affair, with athletes from Japan, Germany, France, and Spain showcasing their skills, making for an exciting display of judo.

On Sunday, Junior and Senior Judoka will take to the tatami, for what is set to be an action-packed day. Siblings Joe and Lexi Buchanan are set to compete following their impressive medal haul at the Scottish National Championships in November. Lexi achieved a remarkable triple triumph in the -44kg category, securing gold in Cadets, Juniors, and Seniors. Meanwhile, Joe claimed a double victory, winning gold in both the Junior and Senior -60kg categories. Meanwhile, Jocelyn Callaghan will be a key contender in both the Junior and Senior -52kg categories, building on her strong performance at the British Championships in November, where she narrowly missed out on a medal. Judith McCleary, JudoScotland CEO said: “We are excited to welcome judoka from across the world to our flagship international competition to kickstart the JudoScotland 2025 calendar.

The Scottish Open is an opportunity to showcase our sport on the international stage with every match being live streamed on the JudoScotland website. Hosting the Scottish Open provides our judoka the chance to compete with some of the best judo nations on home soil and with the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games just around the corner, events such as this highlights that Judo in Scotland has a strong reputation on the international circuit for competitive events.”

The Scottish Open will take place this weekend on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th January at the sportscotland National Centre, Inverclyde. Click here for more information about the event.