European Judo comes to the Algarve

More than 1,300 judokas are expected to compete, and spectators can watch for free, Sul Informação reported.

The International Judo Federation lists 1,395 competitors from 36 countries. The championship is open to judokas aged 30 and over, who compete in different age and weight categories. The programme includes individual contests as well as Ne-waza, a form of judo fought on the ground.

The event gives local residents a chance to watch European-level judo without buying a ticket. With competitors travelling to the Algarve from across Europe, it will also bring an international sporting event to Portimão this week.

The event is also another step in Portimão’s growing presence on the European judo calendar. In an interview with the European Judo Union, Joaquim Baptista, president and coach of Judo Clube de Portimão, said the journey began when the Portuguese Judo Federation asked the club to organise the 2024 Senior European Cup. The successful event helped the club and city build confidence to take on a larger competition.

Baptista told the European Judo Union that the club wanted to show Portimão could host more European events and establish itself as a regular destination for judo. He described success in practical terms: delivering an event that meets a high standard and leaves athletes, coaches, officials and visitors with a positive experience.

That local effort will be visible this week as the Portimão Arena welcomes competitors, their teams and spectators. The event is expected to give the city several days of international sport during a quieter part of the tourism calendar, while also giving local residents an opportunity to see high-level judo at close quarters.

The exact competition schedule and category timings should be checked through the event organisers before visiting, as the International Judo Federation’s page lists some session times as still to be confirmed.