It is a day that the young Catalan judokas will remember. 900 young graduates from the Pyrénées-Orientales gathered at the Parc des Expositions, in Perpignan, this Thursday, November 11, 2021.
Young Catalans participated in a training session with the best French judokas. Amandine Buchard (Olympic vice-champion 2020), Sarah-Léonie Cysique (Olympic vice-champion 2020), Hélios Latchoumanaya (3rd at the 2020 Paralympic Games) and Cathy Arnaud (world champion in 1987 and 1989) participated in this training.
“It feels weird because I saw them on TV,” smiles 8-year-old Lucas. “We are not used to seeing them champions in real life”, adds the little judoka.
The champions showed their techniques attacks on children. Elsa, 12, plans to work that of Amandine Buchard. “The placement of the foot is quite hard, you have to position it well for the technique to work, I will try to learn it, because it seems efficient”, explains the young judoka.
This moment of exchange with the champions also awakened the ambitions of Liana, 9 years old: “I would like to be a champion who wins trophies and medals, like Amandine “.
Promote judo in the Pyrénées-Orientales
This event is part of the French judo championship. For two days, the best French judokas will compete on the tatami mats of Perpignan.
The president of the Judo committee in the Pyrénées-Orientales hopes take the opportunity to boost the practice of judo in the departement. “I hope to bring back new graduates and also revive the flame for those who had forgotten the tatami a bit”, confides Nicolas Cloarec.
This year, the department of Pyrénées-Orientales has 2,900 licensees, against 3,400 before the health crisis.