Sun, tatami and rankings: Portimão set for junior showdown

Portimão is ready once again to welcome the next wave of judo talent. On 7–8 March, the Algarve city hosts the Portimão Junior European Cup, the third stop on the EJU Junior Tour. Nearly 400 young judoka from 23 countries and four continents will step onto the tatami, in a place better known for beaches and sunshine than for throws and groundwork.

Portimão turns from holiday hotspot into junior judo battleground

The event returns to the Portimão Arena, a modern venue that already impressed teams in 2025 with its high standards. The local organisers aim to deliver top-level conditions so that every delegation feels at home, from warm-up to final block. With over 300 sunny days a year, the question is who will be able to shine brightest on competition day.

The line-up is stacked with world-ranked athletes. Morocco brings a powerful women’s team, including Yasmine Hariss, number one in the Junior World Ranking List at -70kg. She is joined by WRL number twos Amina Alaoui Cherifi (-52kg) and Famita Ezzahra Nidaoui (-48kg), making the North African squad one of the key groups to watch.

Europe is strongly represented at the top of the lists. Croatia’s Jana Cvjetko (-70kg) and Italy’s Cinzia Caponetto (-78kg), both ranked WRL number three, are among the highest-ranked European judoka heading to Portugal. On the men’s side, Sweden’s Narek Vardanian leads the entry list at -73kg as WRL number four, with Italy’s Lucio Tavoletta (WRL 8, -73kg) also in the mix.

European juniors are out to defend home-continent pride

Host nation Portugal sends the third-largest team, featuring athletes with solid experience at this level. One of them is -90kg contender Victor Antunes, who placed seventh last year and is aiming for a step up on home soil. National coach Marco Morais underlines how important this tournament is as a benchmark for athletes, clubs and staff to measure themselves against the international standard.

All contests can be watched live on JudoTV.com, making it easy to follow every score, shido and ippon. From 9–11 March, an international training camp rounds off the event, bringing together the same athletes for more high-quality randori, shared learning and new connections on and off the tatami.

Source: EJU_News