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Kamiko Judo Club’s exciting
young talent Billy Ray-Deane won admirers on the continent after
finishing a respectable fifth at the hotly-contested Spanish Cup
in Santander on Saturday 30 October.
The event attracts judoka
of international ilk as budding players from France, Argentina,
Peru, Belgium and the Canary Islands were all in action.
Ray-Deane, 14, was joined
on the trip by Kamiko’s player-coach George Martin, 18, himself
a British international. The pair travelled to Spain to stay with
long-time friends from the La Salle Judo team in Santander.
“We enjoyed the training
sessions with the club and saw some of the many sights of the
city,” said Martin.
“The event moves around
the country annually and has a unique system where Spain’s national
junior and cadet players can compete. When it was time for serious
judo on the Saturday Billy was in action in the under 60kg division.”
The English judoka opened
his campaign by beating a Spanish cadet player by a waza-ari throw
ahead of defeating his victim’s team-mate by ippon through a textbook
hon-kesa-gatame.
In the semi-final the 18th
mon, who had already overcome two 1st Dan players, was up against
Spain’s number one cadet. Ray-Deane scored a yuko before being
thrown for ippon by the eventual gold medallist.
The defeat saw the Chelmsford
teen revert to the repechage and a bronze medal showdown with
another tough Spaniard. Despite scoring a smart yuko Ray-Deane
was eventually caught with a strangle and agonisingly missed out
on a medal.
“Billy took a very respectable
and hard-fought fifth-place in what was a very tough international
competition. The trip was Kamiko’s last of the year and everyone
at the club is full of praise for Billy.”
The club train at St Andrews
Church Hall, Nr Burnham on Crouch, Essex, CM3 6BY. Boys and girls
train on a Monday at 17:00 – 20:00 while men and women train on
the same day at 20:00 – 21:00.
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