The All-Japan Judo Invitational Weight Class Championships began in Fukuoka City, and Ryoma Tanaka, 22, who won an international competition as a university student last year, won the men's 66 kg weight class.
Athletes who have been selected to represent the Paris Olympics will not be participating in this year's All Japan Invitational Weight Category Championships, which will be held at the Fukuoka International Center in Fukuoka City, but they will be involved in the selection of representatives for the World Championships to be held in May. Masu.
On the first day, the 6th, matches were held in 7 weight classes for men and women, and in the men's 66 kg class was Tanaka, a promising young player who last year won the World Masters, the biggest international tournament after the Olympics and World Championships, as a fourth year university student. participated.
Tanaka made it all the way to the finals, where he faced fourth-year university student Taketo Mitsuoka.
The match could not be decided on a decisive technique and the match went into overtime, when Tanaka took the Waza-ari with a Yokoguruma just 14 minutes into the match and won for the second time in three years.
Additionally, in the men's 73 kg class, Tanaka's younger brother Ryuga, a second-year student at the University of Tsukuba, won for the first time.
His older brother, Ryoma Tanaka, said, ``I think this victory changed my future in judo.My match was tough, but I had faith that my younger brother would do well.''
His younger brother Ryuga also said, ``My brother's match was long and frustrating, but he created momentum so I was able to finish it.''
Matches will be held on the 7th in 7 weight classes for both men and women.