The Veteran and Kata World Championships Abu Dhabi 2023, like the previous editions of the event, are the perfect illustration of the adage; yes judo has no age. At each stage of life, we can continue to learn and have fun practising.
It is evident that World Judo Tour athletes demonstrate an agility and power that the competitors of this four-day competition have seen reduced but does it really matter? By asking the question, we already give the answer and it is a clear no!
What is important is the desire, the passion, the will to do well and to do it while respecting the values of judo. Since this morning, the contests have been running at a high pace. We saw many ippon throws. To put it bluntly, positive scores never stop. On the three tatami at La Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, the referees are not idle and have to raise their arms very often.
Veterans therefore have absolutely nothing to envy of the cadets. When they get on the tatami, it’s obviously to win. To be convinced of this, you have to see the cries of joy and the smiles that light up the faces of the winners. If victory is an objective though, it is never an end in itself.
All the competitors came to the Emirates for the pleasure of being together, for the love of exchange and because they consider that their life as judoka goes through many stages.
We often talk about the enthusiasm of youth. We can guarantee that it does not fade with age, quite the contrary. Even if it may seem paradoxical, veteran competitions are like drinking at the fountain of youth, that kind of fountain which reassures you in the idea that there is no age to practice and no age to have fun, because in the end, that’s what matters.