Only a few days remain before it all begins. We have entered the week in which Ljubljana will host one of the largest judo competitions in the history of Slovenia – the Ljubljana European Open, which will be held for the first time in the country’s largest arena, Stožice.

While Stožice previously hosted a major judo event in 2013, when the Junior World Championships took place in Ljubljana, this time the spotlight will shine on the very best senior competitors.

The second edition of the Ljubljana European Open represents an upgrade on every level – not only in terms of venue, but also participation. After 419 athletes from 31 countries competed in the Slovenian capital last year, more than 500 judokas from over 40 countries will step onto the tatami in Ljubljana this year.

“We simply needed a larger venue, as the number of registrations has increased significantly compared to last year, which is most likely also a result of the good organization of last year’s event, when it was held for the first time. Competitors from as many as 44 countries have registered, which is 13 more than last year, and we hope that the final number of participants will exceed 500. In any case, Slovenia will also have male and female medal contenders, and I hope this will attract a large number of spectators to Stožice,” said Judo Federation Secretary General Aljaž Sedej ahead of the tournament in Ljubljana.

Experienced national team members and promising young athletes will go head-to-head, all chasing valuable world ranking points and testing their readiness in exceptionally strong competition. For many, this will also be their first major test in a year when qualification points for the next Summer Olympic Games begin to be collected.

Slovenian judo fans will be able to cheer on 31 Slovenian judokas, who will aim to surpass last year’s results from the inaugural Ljubljana European Open, where Kaja Schuster and Nika Tomc won medals for Slovenia. Both will compete again this year, as will Igor Tsurkan, who claimed silver under the Ukrainian flag last year and will now make his first international appearance representing Slovenia.

Among the more experienced members of the Slovenian team, special mention goes to two-time European silver medallist Kaja Kajzer, who made her debut in the −63 kg category at last year’s Ljubljana European Open. She went on to win two medals on the World Judo Tour later in the season.

With an impressive 12 medals from senior European Cups, David Štarkel will also be one to watch as he looks to claim his first medal at a World Cup-level event on home soil. A seventh-place finish at this year’s Paris Grand Slam provides a strong boost ahead of his Ljubljana appearance for the ten-time consecutive Slovenian national champion.

Long-time national team member Martin Hojak already has five medals from senior World Cups and confirmed his return to good competitive form with a bronze medal at the Grand Prix in Guadalajara last October. The same applies to Nace Herkovič, winner of last year’s European Open in Sarajevo, who will be aiming to repeat that success in front of a home crowd.

In Sarajevo, Nika Tomc claimed victory for the second year in a row, while Leila Mazouzi once again secured bronze. This time, Mazouzi will be chasing her first medal of this level on home soil.

Slovenian judokas have already won two medals at World Cups this year – in addition to Štarkel, Jevgenija Gajić claimed bronze in Casablanca, continuing her steady rise in senior competition and on the world ranking list.

However, the excitement will not be limited to the tatami. Organisers have prepared a rich accompanying programme, with a particularly ceremonial moment scheduled for Saturday before the final block, when Ljubljana will pay tribute to Olympic champion Andreja Leški. The 29-year-old from Koper, who closely follows the progress of young Slovenian judokas, is delighted that they will have the opportunity to compete in front of a home audience: “This is a great opportunity for Slovenian judokas. For many, it will be their first competition of this size, so competing at home – where they can sleep in their own beds – will make things easier. Of course, a home event also brings some pressure, but if you want to be among the best, you have to learn how to deal with that as well. Regardless of the results, I hope they will take this experience with them and use the competition as a stepping stone. I’m really looking forward to the event in Ljubljana and hope Stožice will be as full as possible.”

Only a few days remain until the start of a true judo spectacle – one that may also reveal new stars of Slovenian judo, athletes who could one day follow in the footsteps of Andreja Leški.