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University lands national student judo event

09/12/2021
University lands national student judo event

The University of Wolverhampton has been selected to host the British University Colleges Sport (BUCS) Judo Championships which will take place on the 26 and 27 February at the Walsall Campus Sports Centre.   

Judo is an Olympic sport and has a broad competition base from participation through to elite. The BUCS competition sees national and international fighters take to the mats to represent and score BUCS points for their respective university. 

The University has an established relationship with the British Judo Association who are based on the Walsall Campus site further cementing the partnership which has resulted in the University being a leading institution for judo. 

University students Lucy Renshall and Chelsie Giles both competed in the Tokyo Olympics with Chelsie winning a bronze medal. 

James Dale, Sport Performance and Development Manager for WLV Sport, said: “I am thrilled that the University of Wolverhampton will play host to the BUCS Judo event in February 2022. 

“The event is one that we have wanted to host as part of our strategy given our links to judo and previous history hosting national/ international judo events. Not only does it give students a fantastic opportunity to represent their institution, but it also helps raise the profile of Judo, particularly in Higher Education.  

“We also hope to do a great job of showcasing the event and raising awareness and impact that student sport, in particular, BUCS events have on the student experience while also offering opportunities for our student to gain valuable work experience alongside their degrees.  

“Boasting a strong pathway and focus for judo, we are hopeful that the BUCS event will shine a light on our current student athletes and hope to have a strong field of student athletes representing in the event.” 

Luke Gallen, Event Manager for BUCS, said: “It's great to be heading to the University of Wolverhampton for the 2022 BUCS Judo Championships. We’re looking forward to a fantastic event at the home of Judo, working in their high-quality facilities with their staff to create a great experience for all the students.” 

The British Judo Association’s Centre of Excellence is based at the University’s Walsall Campus and sits alongside the University’s sports education and research facilities that support the wide range of sports degrees on offer.  

The University’s Institute of Human Sciences and British Judo Association have worked in partnership for ten years, with the collaboration now extended until 2032.  

The partnership recently invested to extend specialist sport facilities to support Olympic and Paralympic athletes based in the West Midlands.  

The new development, which opened earlier this year, includes dedicated physiotherapy facilities providing world class science and medical support to athletes as part of the British Judo Association’s partnership with the English Institute of Sport.  

The new 12-year agreement ensures the Centre of Excellence will remain on the Walsall Campus for the next three Olympic cycles, preparing athletes for Paris 2024, Los Angeles 2028 and beyond. The next focus for the centre will be the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, and the partnership provides further endorsement for the Walsall Campus as a place of sporting excellence for elite athletes.  

The extension of the partnership with British Judo follows the recently announced partnership with Sandwell Council that will enable students to study and train at their new £73m Aquatics Centre, and the £1m refurbishment of the University’s sports laboratories that now include a state of the art climate chamber.  

Anyone looking to study at the University of Wolverhampton should register for one of our forthcoming Open Days.   

ENDS 

 

For more information please contact the Corporate Communications Team.

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