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OVER 400 judoka from all over Ireland descended upon Dublin for the All Ireland Championships and Dungannon’s Ren-Bu-Kan Judo club had fifteen competitors, who came home with an amazing ten medals.
There were three Gold medallists, two Silver and five Bronze winners.
All Ireland champions were nine year olds Fíanna McGilloway and Aoife Owens and ten year old Kaitlyn Kavanagh. Fíanna and Kaitlyn were defending All Ireland champions having won the titles last year at lighter weights while Aoife had been beaten in the final last year by Fíanna.
Ten year old Annie Henry and thirteen year old Scarlett Mackle both made it through to their finals but had to make do with Silver medals.
Ten year old Lucy Corr and eleven year old Eugene McElvogue also had the honour of being on the medal podium when they both won Bronze.
The senior competition was the most competitive ever with multiple fighters who have won medals at International tournaments in the different weight categories.
Ren-Bu-Kan had five seniors fighting and won three Bronze. Our Bronze medal winners were seventeen year old Matt Barrett, thirty year old Ivan Petkov and thirty four year old Ciaran Little while twenty one year old Daniel McGibbon and thirty eight year old Daniel Grimley had very creditable fifth place finishes but just outside the medals.
Ren-Bu-Kan judo club has now gone 51 unbroken years of All Ireland champions.
The club will take a break for Christmas and resume in January and will welcome anyone from four years up to any age, so if you want to be part of this elite Olympic martial art just ring Harry McGuigan on 07779245925.
