Athletes compete in a Judo match in Wenzhou on April 12. [Photo/66wz.com]
The 2023 National Men's Judo Championships kicked off at the Wenzhou Olympic Sports Center on April 12, local media outlets reported.
The event is the most influential and competitive Judo event in China as well as a selection event for the Judo competition at the Hangzhou Asian Games this year.
More than 400 Judo athletes, coaches, team leaders and referees from 26 teams across the country gathered at the competition, which lasted for three days and adopted a single elimination quarter-final revival system, with seven levels in total.
Why did the National Judo Championships choose Wenzhou? The decision was largely due to the influence of the Wenzhou International Wrestling Championships, which have been held in the city for three consecutive years.
Shan Ming, head of the China Judo Association, said that they learned about Wenzhou's high standards and ability to organize successful competitions, venue layout, and logistics through the introduction of the Wrestling Association, and thus decided to hold the Judo competition in Wenzhou.
Judo was once a prominent competitive sport in Wenzhou, and the city established its Judo team as early as 1985. Over the past 30 years, Wenzhou has given rise to many international and Olympic athletes such as Li Aiyue, Wang Jin, and Jin Shujiao, who competed for the national team.
