IJF World Tour Heads to Tel Aviv Whilst VI Team Travel to IBSA German Open

Thursday sees the IJF World Tour head to Israel for the start of the Tel Aviv Grand Slam. This is the second time the Israeli capital has staged a Grand Slam following its promotion from Grand Prix in 2021.

This weekend’s IBSA Heidelberg German Open will see our VI fighters compete in the newly revised weight categories that have been introduced ahead of Paris Paralympic Games.

IBSA Baku Grand Slam 7^th place finisher Evan Molloy (-90kg) is joined by Cameron Bradley (-90kg) who topped the Junior podium in Germany back in 2020. The pair are joined by GB Para Potential fighters Connah Anders (-73kg), Jimmy Alderson (-90kg), Evie Gormley (-57kg) and Emily Betts (-70kg).

Thursday

Gregg Varey trades his place behind the camera for a role in front of it. Usually found working for the IJF video streaming team, Welsh judoka Varey, competing in the -66kg category, will face Daikii Bouba (FRA) who recently placed 5^th at the Paris Grand Slam.

Acelya Toprak competes for the first time this year. Toprak’s final competition of 2021 saw her place 5^th at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam. Toprak will face current Panamerican Champion Arnaes Odelin Garcia (CUB) in the opening round.

Friday

Gemma Howell makes her third appearance in Tel Aviv. The three-time Grand Slam bronze medallist will face Geke Van Den Berg (NED) in the opening round. Van Den Berg recently finished 5^th at the Paris Grand Slam.

Kelly Petersen-Pollard opened her 2021 campaign with a 5^th place finish at the Paris Grand Slam earlier this month. The two-time Grand Slam bronze medallist is seeded 5^th and will have an opening round bye before facing the victor of the opening round contest between Shokhista Nazarova (UZB) and Nataliia Chystiakova (UKR).

Jemima Yeats-Brown started her 2022 season with a 7^th place finish at the Portugal Grand Slam, competing alongside Petersen-Pollard in the -70kg category she will face former European Junior Championship bronze medallist Shaked Amihai (ISR)

Saturday

Emma Reid (featured image) continues to impress on the IJF World Tour and has picked up two 5^th place finishes at her opening two competitions of the year in Portugal and Paris. Seeded 6^th, Reid will face 2021 Malaga European Open champion Giorgia Stangherlin (ITA) in the opening round. The pair last met in 2019 at the Sofia European Open where Stangherlin won by a waza-ari score.

Preliminary Round action starts at 09:00am on Thursday and Friday and 09:30am Saturday.

Final Block is scheduled to commence at 15:00 on each day.

You can watch all the action from the Tel Aviv Grand Slam LIVE on the British Judo homepage each day.