The UAE will start their campaign at the Asian Senior Judo Championships in China on April 16, with three athletes due on the mat on the opening day.
The first round of action for the Emirati team will be in the men’s under-60kg and under-66kg divisions, as well as the women’s under-52kg category.
The championships run from April 16 to 18 at Ordos Sports Hall. A total of 207 athletes from 21 countries are set to take part, including teams from the UAE, Bahrain, Syria and Lebanon.
The UAE squad will head to China from Japan, where they have been holding a training camp at Tokai University in Tokyo as part of their build-up to the event.
The delegation is led by Dr Nasser Al Tamimi, vice president of the UAE Judo Federation and a member of the National Olympic Committee. Head coach Viktor Siktorov is part of the travelling staff.
The UAE have named a 12-athlete squad across the weight divisions. Simon Konstantin will compete at under 60kg, while Nar Mend Bayan is entered in under 66kg.
At under 73kg, the UAE will be represented by Naji Yazbek and Mohammed Bek. Talal Shafili and Omar Jad will fight in the under-81kg class, with Aram Grigorian in under 90kg.
Zafar Kosovo is entered at under 100kg, while Omar Maroof will compete in the over-100kg division.
In the women’s events, Bishirat Khardodi will contest under 52kg, Maitha Abdullah Al Neyadi is entered in under 57kg, and Eliza Litev will compete in under 78kg.
Mohammed bin Thaaloob Al Derai, president of the UAE Judo Federation, said the draw for the championships will take place on Wednesday after the team’s preparations in Japan.
He said the event matters not only as a continental test, but also because ranking points for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle are available.
For the UAE, it is another step in a long build-up, with this tournament forming part of the national team’s programme for the year ahead.
