NECOS int’l & Para Judo Championship to kick off on Wednesday
Athletes from 35 different teams, including clubs, dojos, schools, and organizations from various districts, will participate in the event.
KATHMANDU: The 7th NECOS International Judo Championship and the 1st Para Judo Championship are set to kick off this Wednesday, Baisakh 3, in Kathmandu.
The three-day event, running through Baisakh 5, is being jointly organized by the Nepal Sports Federation, the Nepal Judo Association, and the Deaf and Blind Para Judo Association.
The championship will take place at the Multi-Purpose Martial Arts Center in Khusibu, Nayabazar, and will be open exclusively to players under the age of 21.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, the organizers announced that a total of 250 male and female athletes will compete across different weight categories.
The men’s competition will feature 12 weight divisions: under 20kg, 25kg, 30kg, 35kg, 40kg, 45kg, 50kg, 55kg, 60kg, 66kg, 73kg, and an open category.
The women’s competition will include 11 divisions: under 28kg, 32kg, 36kg, 40kg, 44kg, 48kg, 52kg, 57kg, 63kg, above 63kg, and an open category.
Athletes from 35 different teams, including clubs, dojos, schools, and organizations from various districts, will participate in the event.
Players who have been training at local clubs and dojos across the country will take part, according to Nepal Judo Association President Dharmakumar Shrestha.
In a major highlight of this edition, athletes from Thailand and Bhutan will also compete. A total of 15 international judokas – 11 from Thailand and 8 from Bhutan – will join the event.
In the para category, players will be selected to represent Nepal at the upcoming Deaflympics in November, with one male athlete (under 60kg) and one female athlete (under 52kg) to be chosen.
To ensure athlete safety, the organizers have arranged accident insurance coverage worth NPR 500,000 per player.
Additionally, a team of five researchers from ISSR Organization will study the championship for two days and prepare an analytical report.
The event aims to foster international friendship through sport and promote inclusivity in martial arts by encouraging participation of para-athletes at the national and international level.
