Tahiti, December 12, 2024 – On Saturday, the ATN judo challenge will take place at the AS Aorai de Pirae hall, bringing together 178 participants from Polynesia, New Caledonia, France, but also the United States. An international tournament which will end an intense week for our judokas, because they had the chance and the honor to benefit, during a few sessions, from the advice of the double Japanese world champion Jōshirō Maruyama.
Arriving Friday, December 6 at Tahiti-Faa’a airport and welcomed as expected by the entire Polynesian judo family, the Japanese Jōshirō Maruyama, world champion under 66 kg in 2019 and 2021, set down his bags at Fenua for a week which promised to be very intense. With a course that would last four days, the Japanese champion was able to distill his science of judo with all the simplicity and kindness that made him an idol in his country, but also abroad. Organized by the Polynesian Judo Federation, this course allowed many judokas and judokates to benefit from the master’s advice. First organized for the participants of the ATN challenge, which will take place this Saturday at the AS Aorai hall in Pirae, the course was open to licensees from the youngest.
“We opened the sessions on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. for ages 10 and over. Jōshirō agreed, it proves his kindness and his desire to teach the younger generation,” explained the technical manager of the federation, Franck Bellard. “On Wednesday afternoon, we set up a session for schoolchildren and toddlers. We also added a meeting with teachers and black belts, much more focused on technique with a more expert approach, because it was important to move towards this area for the most senior. It was an opportunity for them to discuss his technical expertise in judo with Jōshirō.” A godsend for all those tatami lovers. An enriching week for everyone, with Saturday’s competition in focus.
178 participants au challenge ATN
A challenge which will welcome 178 participants, from the U14 junior category (children born between 2011 and 2013) to the Elite category (children born before 2011), boys and girls. Coming from New Caledonia, France and the United States, the participants will raise the level of the competition. For Franck Bellard, it was important to organize the categories well for more diversity and challenge: “In the juniors, we will have Caledonians, but only girls. Among the under-17s, boys and girls from the Nouméa junior judo center will be present. They will be supervised in this tournament for future qualifications for the French championships, just like ours. It is in the Elite that all nationalities will be represented, since in addition to the Caledonians, there will be French and an American. We are going to level up, this will allow our athletes to measure themselves, especially since for the best in each category, we offer them the opportunity to fight in the higher category to really test themselves. But without taking any risks, since we will balance the weights so that the participants fight in complete safety.”
From dawn until sunset, the fights will take place under the watchful eye of the Sensei. All judokas and judokates will want to shine and show him the fruits of his advice. A competition which is likely to be intense and which promises us high-level fights.
