Ganja hosts the next Cadet European Judo Tour stop as Europe’s youth squads arrive

The “Millennium Team” Cadet European Judo Tour heads to Azerbaijan next, with Ganja set to stage the competition on 4–5 April. The Ganja Sports Palace is expected to welcome 286 judoka from 11 countries, keeping the tour’s pace rolling as the season gathers momentum. For Azerbaijan, it’s a familiar role: the nation will be hosting this event for the fourth time.

A big part of the storyline is the home presence. More than 100 Azerbaijani athletes are listed, meaning a loud local push across two days of cadet-level battles. But the field is far from domestic. Teams are also coming from Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Türkiye and the United States, adding variety and pressure that young athletes simply can’t replicate at home.

European cadets from Poland, Portugal, Bulgaria and Belarus are part of the international mix.

European squads will be looking to make their mark in that atmosphere, with Belarus, Bulgaria, Poland and Portugal all named among the participating nations. For developing judoka, these weekends can be defining: new opponents, different rhythms, and the kind of travel-and-compete routine that starts to feel like real elite sport.

Rashad Rasullu, Executive Vice-President of the Azerbaijan Judo Federation, highlighted Azerbaijan’s long record of staging international tournaments and the value of bringing events into the regions. With major attention set to return to the country later in the year for the senior World Championships, hosting in Ganja is presented as another step in building experience and depth.

Fans can follow every contest live on JudoTV. The action continues after the medals too, with an international cadet training camp scheduled in Ganja from 6–8 April.

Two competition days, then straight into a three-day camp.

Source: EJU_News