Sports
Roneil Walcott
The Cascade Community Centre will be the stage for approximately 40 judokas on October 18 when the Queen’s Park Judo Club (QPJC) hosts its judo tournament for the first time in six years. An October 15 QPJC release said the tournament’s return could not have come at a better time as the club will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2026.
The QPJC tournament will feature both traditional judo matches and submission grappling matches, a testament to the growing popularity of the grappling disciplines in the country, the release said. The tournament will also aim to revive traditional judo contest rules, including leg-grabs used by the Kodokan in Japan, offering an alternative to the familiar Olympic-style format.
Former Olympic judoka Christopher George, who was the country’s first judoka to compete at the Olympics when he featured in the 2016 games, will take on Xavier Jones who was once ranked number nine in the world in the cadet (Under-18) division. Rising stars Adam Laing and Ky-Lynn Smith, both 13, will also show off their skills in Cascade, paving the way for what the QPJC says will be a “must-see event for martial arts enthusiasts and community supporters alike.”
The action will get under way from 10 am, with the registration deadline set for 6 pm on October 17.
QPJC first opened its doors to the public on November 7, 1996.
