Beverwijk ‘Special Needs’ Judo Tournament
Local Success in Dutch Special Needs Judo Competition.

Between the 4 - 6 April 2008, four judo players from Bristol, took part of the first official British Judo Association Special Needs Judo Team when they traveled to Holland. Between them they won 4 Gold medals.

Tim Marchant: 2 Gold medals
Joseph Beasant: 1 Gold and 1 Bronze medals
Tina Kelly: 1 Gold and 1 Bronze medals
David Woodland: 1 Bronze medal but then had to retire because of injury.

Overall, the British Team with representatives from Scotland and Wales won 11 Gold, 2 Silver and 8 Bronze medals and had 3 Open Champions. It was an excellent start for a Team who looked particularly good in their official GB tops!

There were also other individual entries from the members of Kodachi Special Needs Judo Club:-

Chris Summerhayes: Gold and Silver medals
Michelle Godbert: Silver and Bronze medals
Daniel Brooks Gold and a Silver medals
Daniel Amel AzizPour: Silver and Bronze medals
Peter Jury: 2 Silver medals
Gregory Woods, the youngest member and at his first big Judo Competition, won a Bronze medal.

The judo competition was held at Beverwijk, Holland, which included Practice sessions on the Friday morning and then an afternoon of sightseeing had been arranged for the Players. After the competition on the Saturday, an evening disco was arranged for all judo players, judo representatives and judo supporters to attend.

The Head of the Inclusion Committee for the British Judo Association attended and was very impressed with the whole competition and particularly with the Athletes achievements.

If anyone would like more information about Judo for people with Special Needs, they can contact Helen Goodchild on helen.goodchild@lineone.net

Helen Goodchild
Kodachi Kwai Secretary