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On Saturday 27th February,
the Oxford and Cambridge Judo clubs will be celebrating the 80th
anniversary of their very first encounter. This is the first time
since 1970 that this annual event will be held at its original
Oxford venue in the Town Hall rather than in the Universities’
own sports facilities. Its return also coincides with the event
being, after 40 years, re-opened to the public.
The clubs are two of the
oldest existing Judo clubs in Europe and the annual match between
the two Universities is thought to be the oldest regular Judo
competition in the world, outside Japan.
Chairman of Oxford Judo,
Dr Tony Buley (President of OUJC in 1962) said “I am delighted
that the match has returned to its old Oxford venue, where I have
vivid memories of doing battle all those years ago.
“There are many changes
from those days when there was only one team match and hardly
a black belt to be seen in either side.”
“Standards have improved
enormously due not least to excellent coaching and the unique
relationship we have created between the University and City Clubs.
They train together as one club and last weekend we had four “Oxford
Judo” teams competing in Paris, not for the first time returning
with medals.”
The first match will be
between experienced teams representing Oxford City Judo Club and
their opposite numbers from Cambridge City – an event inaugurated
on the 75th anniversary.
The mixed Oxford team will
be captained, for the second year running, by 16-year-old Jordan
Doherty, daughter of Oxford Judo’s two senior coaches and a national
junior medallist.
This will be followed by
a match between the university mens’ second teams. Then Karen
Kruska (Linacre College) will be hoping to lead her 5-woman blues
team to their 9th straight victory in a row over their Cambridge
rivals.
Finally the match between
the 8-man blues teams when Oxford will be hoping to avenge last
year’s narrow defeat after a 4-all draw. (Cambridge won a fight-off
between one randomly selected team member from each side - the
nearest thing in Judo to a penalty shoot-out).
As on the first meeting
in 1930, the men’s blues teams will be competing for the Matsudaira
Cup which was presented in 1930 for annual competition between
two teams of eight men by the then Japanese Ambassador – Viscount
Matsudaira.
With four well-matched
pairs of teams competing , including a number of participants
with national and international medals to their credit, the scene
is set for an interesting and exciting afternoon of competitive
Judo.
Saturday
27th February from 1.00pm until 4.00 pm
Tickets (£3.00 for adults;
£2 for students and children) from Elmer Cotton or, for postal
delivery, contact judo@herald.ox.ac.uk
. Remaining tickets available at the door.
For more information
contact Andrew Stewart (07812 914131): email: stewart@maths.ox.ac.uk
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