GB Veterans set for World Championships

The Abu Dhabi World Veteran Championships take place in Abu Dhabi this week.

A 22-strong GB Judo team has travelled to the UAE capital city for the championships which start on Tuesday.

Two-time veteran World Champion, Natasha Glassford returns to defend the title she won in Krakow in 2022. The -63kg fighter won her first Veteran World Championship title at the 2019 championships in Marrakech.

There is another defending champion in the -78kg category, as Danielle Batt returns to the world stage. Batt finished 4^th at the European Veteran Championships earlier this year.

2018 European Veteran Championship bronze medallist, Emma Delaney, makes her World Championship debut in the -70kg category.

Completing the women’s team is Caroline Brayson, who only made her international debut earlier this year, with a 4^th place finish at the European Veteran Championships in Podcetrtek, Slovenia. She will fight in the -63kg category in Abu Dhabi.

For the men, Mark Costiff will be looking to add the gold medal he won in 2019 when he competes in the -60kg category.

-81kg judoka Martin Shotbolt claimed silver at the 2021 World Championships in Lisbon. 2022 silver medallist and 1984 Olympian Nicholas Kokotaylo will be in action in the +100kg category.

2018 European Champion Thomas Moyse is the oldest GB Judo competitor in action at the age of 73. He will compete in the -90kg category.

Bogdan Lica makes his 3^rd appearance on the World Veteran Championship stage. With two bronze medals from the 2021 and 2022 Championships, the +100kg judoka will be hoping to improve upon his podium placing in Abu Dhabi. Kevin Ede (-73kg) and Ashley Parrette (-90kg) also make their third appearances at the World Veteran Championships.

2023 European Veteran Championship 7^th place finisher, John Thacker (-81kg) makes his 7^th appearance at the World Veteran Championships. Joseph Williams (+100kg) makes his 3^rd World Veteran Championship appearance after his 5^th place finish at the 2022 Championships. Meanwhile, there are 2^nd appearances on this stage for Christopher Horton (-100kg) and Peter Hoar (-81kg).

Horton finished 7^th at the 2021 World Veteran Championships whilst Hoar finished 7^th at the 2023 European Veteran Championships.

There are seven judoka making their World Veteran Championship debuts in Abu Dhabi: Tibor Banyai (-73kg), Simon Twigg (-81kg), Winston Ginsberg (-90kg), Shaun Mitty (-90kg), David Bostock-Smith (-100kg), Mark McCallum (+100kg) and Yousef Alfajare (+100kg).

Keep up with all the action from the Abu Dhabi World Veteran Championships LIVE at live.ijf.org each day.

Watch out for further news from British Judo by checking out our latest news section. You can also catch up via our official social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The post GB Veterans set for World Championships appeared first on British Judo.