Photo: Dani Silva
The thirteenth annual University of Sheffield International Students Tournament (USIST) Judo tournament held at Goodwin Sports Centre last month was one of the most successful in its history.
Although the University of Sheffield Judo teams only secured a bronze medal, the day was an enjoyable and entertaining experience.
The event, which occurred over the weekend of February 20, attracted over 200 competitors and spectators with 27 teams entering the prestigious tournament, meaning that it is one of the biggest judo events in the country, even more so than the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) equivalent.
The most exciting travelling team was undoubtedly that of Muenster, from Germany, who went into the competition as champions three years running.
Their fights were regarded as the showpiece of the event.
Each team is made up of six, four men and two women in each weight category. All team members must fight in a match.
The most exciting fixture came between the University of London and the German side Muenster in the last stage of the knockouts. After six enthralling bouts the teams were level on points, so a tie-break was necessary to separate the teams apart.
In this situation, a random weight division was chosen and the competitor with the highest score wins. In this case it was women’s under 57kg division which London’s competitor ultimately won with a throw that would later be decided as throw of the day.
The fixtures were drawn so that both University of Sheffield teams had to fight each other to progress, which was understandably a tough prospect.
An emotional and impressive bout followed, with the first team just edging out their training partners in the second team.
The relaxed and friendly nature of USIST makes it a popular choice on the judo circuit, and although the individual matches are always competitive, the day itself is always a nice day out for university judo teams across the country.
Louise Parker, the Judo Club Secretary spoke highly of the competition’s pleasant spirit. She said: “The USIST is always a great experience, and this year’s was no different.”
“Everyone always has a great time, everyone is always really friendly. We’ve organised a bit of a social for everyone tonight, and I’m sure that will be as fun as the day itself.”
Parker noted the high number of supporters at the event and was suitably impressed. “The support really adds to the buzzing atmosphere of the day and I want to thank everyone who came, as well as everyone who took part today.”
“It’s always quite sad when all the teams leave for their respective universities, because we are all quite close, which reflects the uniqueness of this event.”