As champions of the 2024 Bayernliga season, the Aibling-Grafing judo fighting community has fought for the right to start in the second highest German league in 2025. A challenge that those responsible are looking forward to with optimism.
Bad Aibling – “As promoted teams, we are the new ones in the 2nd Bundesliga, but we definitely don’t want to hide. We have been able to further improve our already very strong team with many of our own talent, so that we don’t have to be afraid of anyone,” says Robert Buendowski, 2nd department head and team manager. Coach Martin Garic echoes the same sentiment: “We can win the league! The boys are in a great mood, have tailwind from last season and the new additions also fit seamlessly into the team and live our team spirit.”
First league experienced newcomers for the 2nd league
The new signings include Dominik Röder, who has first division experience, the Austrian selection fighter Alexander Klaus-Sternwieder and the Frenchman Mohamed Montassar-Rouahi. All three recently met their new teammates for the first time in Bad Aibling, when the KG Aibling-Grafing met for a short training camp in the sports hall of the St. Georg elementary and middle school.
In order to promote community in judo sport in Upper Bavaria, friendly clubs from the region were invited to take part in the training with their performance-oriented fighters for the first unit. With around 60 athletes, the mat was so full that they even had to train in two groups. “Absolutely impressive, I really didn’t expect that,” says Denis Weisser, first chairman of KSV Bad Aibling, visibly surprised. “It fits into the picture,” adds Buendowski. “We currently have almost daily inquiries from fighters from Bavaria and even Austria who would like to fight for us. Normally a request like this goes exactly the other way around.” So the word is getting around that a lot is going right in Aiblinger Judo at the moment. And so the second day, on which the men’s team got the first polish for the 2025 season in two tough, two-hour training sessions, was also a complete success. Martin Garic: “The boys really gave it their all and trained at a very high level. If we continue to work like this, then anything is possible in the 2nd Bundesliga!” (re)
