Berlin sets the stage for Europe’s cadet test under pressure

Berlin is back at the center of international U18 judo this weekend. According to the current entry list, 774 judoka from 36 nations are expected at the Berlin "Millennium Team" European Cadet Cup 2026 at Sportforum Berlin. Host nation Germany brings the biggest team, with Israel and Spain also sending large delegations.

This event is about more than medals. For many athletes, it is a key stop for international experience and an important step toward qualification targets linked to the next continental and world championships. The level looks high, with medallists from the Cadet World Championships Sofia 2025 and the Cadet European Championships Skopje 2025 set to compete.

Sunday brings back two defending champions who return as top seeds. Elif Kilic comes in after her 2025 Berlin title and a cadet European silver medal in Skopje. From a European perspective, Tajus Babaicenko stands out strongly. The Lithuanian won in Berlin last year, then took bronze at both the cadet European and world championships at −81 kg, and now arrives in the −90 kg category after already winning European Cadet Cups in Rome and Samorin this season.

Tajus Babaicenko arrives as one of the weekend’s most watched European names.

Saturday’s −44 kg division could deliver one of the sharpest battles of the tournament. Sofia Mavrova has built momentum on the Millennium Team European Cadet Tour 2026 with gold in Antalya and Rome plus silver in Ganja. Yagmur Yilmaztürk comes in on the back of wins in Teplice and Ganja, while Sofia Longo has reached the podium twice this season. The category becomes even more intriguing with World Cadet Champion Dilafruz Boltaboeva and World Cadet bronze medallist Fenne Peeters moving up from −40 kg.

For Germany, the tournament carries extra weight. It is a home event, but also the third of four qualification tournaments before the Cadet European Championships. U18 national coach Jens Malewany remains careful with predictions. Germany showed solid form in Teplice with two gold, three silver and four bronze medals, yet the team also has to deal with absences, including Jolina Reinhold and Hannah Glauner through injury.

Malewany’s focus is not limited to the medal table. He wants to see development, variety, clear contest structure and clean transitions into groundwork. That makes Berlin feel like more than a busy weekend on the calendar. It is a serious checkpoint for the next wave of European cadet judo.

Source: EJU.net

Image source: EJU / European Judo Union