Double triumph for Scotland at National Team Championships

Scotland proved themselves best of British again as they retained their Senior Men’s and Junior Boys British Judo National Teams Championship titles at Walsall on 6 July, but lost their women’s title to the Northern Home Counties who swept to stunning gold, leaving Scotland silver medallists in this particular contest.

Olympian Euan Burton led the way for the Scots with victory in the -90kg category as the defending champions scored four ippons to beat Midlands by 30 points. Midlands settled for silver while bronzes went to the Combined Services and the North West. In the semi-final pool, Scotland beat the North West by 10 points with one ippon, and then eased past Combined Services 35-10 with three ippon victories, before their final success over the Midlands, sealing a convincing victory with four ippon wins.

As well as Burton, who beat Nichoi Daley, Scottish wins by ippon in the final came from Iain Feenan (-81kg) against Seb Green, Nick Thwaits (-73kg) over Josh Hill and James Millar (-66kg) over Lucas Rowe. London Paralympic silver medalist Sam Ingram, fighting in a higher weight category than his usual, also bowed on the mat for Scotland in the final but forfeited the fight before it began to 2010 Championship runner-up Zviad Tsklauri to give the Midlands their sole victory in the final. Former world and Olympic champion Craig Fallon (-73kg) also fought for the Midlands in the pool stages, and beat Scotland’s Thwaits by ippon, but did not compete in the final.

Then it was the turn of the younger men who won Scotland’s second victory – not only retaining their junior boy’s title, but beating London by 8-3 in a nail-biting final full of action. Bronze medals went to the North West and Midlands. Scotland’s boys went into the final bout confidently having beat the North West with an enormous victory of 9 – 2. In the final, brothers Jack and Max Murphy both scored ippons as Jack threw Mason Gulaidi-Barber for ippon and Max beat Adam Adaman. Aiden Moffat (-66kg) won by waza-ari throw against Leonardo de Moura Muniz and Conall McGregor scored a waza-ari hold against Adam Hoshal. Ryan Thomson scored Yuko against Max Goodkind, while Oliver Park picked up 10 points fora fusen gachi after his opponent failed to show. Joe Lynch (-42kg) scored another yuko against Sergy Sakhterov and Neil MacDonald scored a penalty against Jordan Chappell – in the semi’s Macdonald also threw three-time British Champion Eric Ham for ippon.

The senior women’s title this year went to Northern Home Counties (NHC), who beat former title holders Scotland by 30 points in the final. Scotland conceded to take silver and the North West and Midlands took the bronzes. NHC went into the final with a 4-10 win over the North West and then beat Scotland in the final with three ippons to the defending former champions’ two. Faith Pitman, fresh from victory in the recent San Salvador Pan American Open, scored an ippon against Jodie Mullen while Kelly Staddon gained another against Sandra Pirie. The final victory that sealed the Northern Home Counties title came from Caroline Kinnane who gripped her opponent Kirsty Rodgers in an armlock to gain ippon.

Meanwhile, North West’s Junior Girls achieved gold victory over the Northern Home Counties who took the silver. The Midlands and Scotland took bronze. The North West girls originally faced London in the semi final with six wins to three and then repeated that result against the Home Counties. In the final against NHC, Mili Aristidou won her bout against Kelly Staddon (-52kg) by direct hansoku-make while Bekky Livesey threw Jade Eccles for ippon. Lucy Renshall beat Lucy Day with a waza-ari throw and hold a pattern repeated by Amy Livesey against Nicole Brown and Jodie Myers and Charlotte Newbold for a three in a row win. In the semi-final Bekky Livesey held down her opponent Julia Scardone for ippon while Lucy Renshall won by yuko against Prisca Awiti. Amy Livesey threw Hanna Toogood for ippon while Jodie Myers scored a double waza-ari throw against Lucy Chamberlain. Meanwhile, Leigh Whitaker picked up 10 points for a no show by her opponent while Mili Aristidou won by kiken-gachi after Harkirat Sekhon was injured.

Photos by Andrew Gallacher. A full gallery is available at Facebook. Words by Donna Richardson.

Medal presentation

Following the event medals were presented to the teams.

Kerrith Brown, Chairman of the British Judo Association presented the medals to the Senior Men.

Gold went to Scotland whose team included -66kg James Millar/Graham Trinder, -73kg Nick Thwaits, -81kg Iain Fennan -90kg Euan Burton and Sam Ingram, +90kg Matthew Bryce, John McFetrich.

Silver went to the Midlands senior men consisting of -66kg Lucas Rowe/Josh Hill, -73kg Craig Fallon, -81kg Adam Ashford/Seb Green, +90kg Nicholi Daley, George Smith and +90kg Zvaid Tsklauri.

Bronzes went to:

Combined Services represented by -66kg Colin Francis, -73kg Alex Paske/Domonic Wylor-Owen, -81kg Jean-Rene Badrick/Michael Saunders, -90kg Jonathan Morris/Rob Sabella, +90kg Christopher Sherrington/Ancel Lupke
Bronze for the North West -66kg Shaun Holt, -73kg Daniel Lyon/Joe Wathan, -81kg Owen Livesey/Daniel Harper, -90kg Michael Horley, +90kg Peter Lomax.

Medals for the Senior Women’s category were presented by Dave Clark, Member of British Judo Association Board of Directors.

Gold: Northern Home Counties claimed the gold with their team including -52kg Kelly Staddon, -57kg Nicola Barlex, -63kg Faith Pitman, -70kg Jordan Doherty and +70kg Caroline Kinnane.

Scotland took silver with -52kg Sandra Pirie/Helen Forbes, -57kg Connie Ramsay, -63kg Jodie Mullen, -70kg Rachel Tytler, +70kg Kirsty Rodgers

The other bronze went to the North West whose ranks included -52kg Mili Aristidou, -57kg Bekky Livesey, -63kg Lucy Renshall, -70kg Amy Livesey, +70kg Jodie Myers.

The other bronze to the Midlands consisting of -52kg Emily Hickman/Chelsie Giles, -57kg Nicola Haywood/Kyra-Mae Leighton, -63kg Kate Harris/Lulu Piovesana, -70kg Ebony Drysdale-Daley, +70kg Alex Reeves/Rachel Moon.

The Junior Boys medals were presented by Andrew Heffner.

Scotland’s Junior Boys took gold -34kg Ryan Thomson, -38kg Oliver Park, -42kg Joe Lynch, -46kg Rhys Burgess/Calum Taylor, -50kg Alex Short, -55kg Jack Murphy and Scott Thomson, -60kg Neil McDonald, -66kg Aiden Moffat, -73kg Max Murphy/David Kerr, +81kg Connall McGregor, +81kg Reece Calder and Liam Donkin.

Silver went to London whose team were -34kg Max Goodkind, -42kg Blake Gulaidhi-Barber/Segey Sakhterov, -46kg Mohammed Alip, Showgo Kimura, -50kg Festus Ahorlu/Mason Gulaidi-Barber, -55kg Domonic Mathurin, -60kg Jordan Chappell, -60kg Leonardo de Moura Muniz/Joshua Awiti-Alcaraz, -73kg Adam Adaman, -81kg Adam Hoshal, +81kg Ramon Alexander/Eliot Bradford.

Bronze went to the North West -42kg Henry Wakes, -46kg Ashton Whalley, -50kg Callum Clee, -55kg Lewis Wakes, -60kg Andrew Morris/Eric Ham, -66kg Isaac Hill, -73kg Joe Wathan/Thomas Kelly, +81kg Aaron Asplin/Connor Mair, +81kg Josh Burns/Thomas Alberts.

The other bronze went to the Midlands, -34kg Nathan Gallacher, -42kg Sam Perry and Harry Tredaway, -46kg Josh Giles, -50kg Sam Morris, -55kg Chris Butlin, -60kg Dan Powell, -66kg Adam Khalik/Lucas Rowe, -73kg Josh Hill, -81kg Seb Green, +81kg George Smith.

The Junior Girls awards were presented by Kerrith Brown, Chairman of the British Judo Association.

Gold went to the North West whose team included -36kg Jamie-Leigh Whitaker, -40kg Charlotte Foster, -48kg Abbey Chesworth, -52kg Mili Aristidou, -57kg Bekky Livesey,  -63kg Lucy Renshall+70kg Jodie Myers.

Silver went to Northern Home Counties with -36kg Amy Platten, -40kg Holly Eccles -44kg Keira Bateman, -48kg Chloe Alvis, -52kg Kelly Straddon/Olivia Spellmen, -57kg Jade Eccles, -63kg Lucy Day, -70kg Jordan Doherty/Nicole Brown, +70kg Charlotte Newbold.

Bronze went to London with -40kg Olivia Piechota, -44kg Holly Walmsley, -48kg Hayley Willis, -52kg Harkirat Sekhon, -57kg Julia Scardone, -63kg Prisca Awiti, -70kg Hanna Toogood and +70kg Lucy Chamberlain.

The other bronze went to Scotland whose team consisted of -36kg Rachel Towle, -40kg Olivia Reid, -44kg Abigail McBeath, -48kg Amy Grant, -52kg Helen Forbes/Abbi Blackie, -57kg Natalie Boyle,  -63kg Kirstie McBeath, -70kg Rachel Tytler +70kg Michelle Boyle.