Sarajevo Keeps the Pace as Türkiye Leads the Senior European Cup

Sarajevo was back at the center of European Judo on 30–31 May, hosting another busy international weekend with the Senior European Cup 2026. The Bosnian capital once again showed how quickly it can switch from one major event to the next, delivering two more days of competition on the tatami.

This latest tournament came only ten days after Sarajevo welcomed the Kodokan Kata Seminar, which followed the European Kata Championships. Even with those events so close together, the city completed another successful stop on the calendar and still has more to come later in the year.

A total of 249 judoka from 21 nations competed across the weekend. The medal table reflected just how wide the level was, with nine countries winning gold and 15 nations reaching the podium at least once.

Türkiye finished first overall, collecting three gold, three silver and two bronze medals. It was a strong and balanced performance across the men’s and women’s categories, giving the team the top place in Sarajevo.

Croatia also had a standout weekend and ended second in the standings with three gold, one silver and three bronze medals. That result made the European presence near the top of the table especially clear, with two regional teams setting the standard across the event.

The Russian Federation placed third with two gold, two silver and one bronze. Behind the headline positions, the spread of medals across the field underlined the competitiveness of the tournament and the depth of the European Cup circuit.

For the host nation, it was a frustratingly close call in key moments. Bosnia and Herzegovina came close to adding more to its medal count but narrowly missed podium finishes in the -78kg and +100kg categories, leaving home fans just short of another celebration.

In the heavyweight men’s division, Recep Ergin of Türkiye was one of the weekend’s notable winners. After taking gold, he said he had felt good from the moment he woke up and believed he could win the title.

He also explained that, despite the level of the opposition, he felt comfortable on the tatami and was able to perform at his best. Looking ahead, Ergin said his next goals are Grand Prix and Grand Slam events, where he hopes to win more medals.

Sarajevo keeps proving it can carry the rhythm of top-level Judo.

The event also reinforced that Sarajevo’s role in the season is far from finished. The city is still set to appear on the European Open circuit during the summer, and the autumn schedule includes the Veteran and Kata World Championships.

For now, though, the latest chapter belongs to the athletes who filled the weekend with action and to the teams that made their mark, especially Türkiye and Croatia. The next Senior European Cup is scheduled for 19–20 September in Skopje, North Macedonia.

Source: EJU.net

Image source: EJU / European Judo Union