Ely Dojo judo club secures second place in championship

The Ely Dojo brought a team of 14 members to the Eastern Area Closed Judo Championship 2024, where they competed against judokas from other clubs across East Anglia.

Out of the 20 clubs represented at the championships, Ely Dojo finished in second place, just a few points behind the winners, Melbourn Judo Club.

Six members of Ely Dojo won gold medals in their groups, while three secured silver and another three took home bronze medals.

Yonas Aldous - 1st Place - Gold Medal & Eastern Area Champion 2024 (Image: Submitted)

The club's head coach, Stuart Aldous, was full of praise for his team.

He said: "It was simply a fantastic day for our dojo team.

"It was wonderful to see all our members in action on the contest mats and to see them supporting each other throughout the day.

"In terms of development I could not be any more proud of how far each member has grown with both their technical development and their judo understanding."

Callum Lee - 1st Place - Gold Medal & Eastern Area Champion 2024 (Image: Submitted)

Among the standout performers was Bekzat Alikaidarov, who not only won the gold medal and was crowned Eastern Area Champion 2024 but was also awarded the Ippon Trophy in the senior group for the most contest wins with an Ippon score, an instant win.

This achievement has helped him gain points towards his competitive black belt grade.

Other gold medallists included Yonas Aldous, Kyle Tower, Raffaella Willis, Callum Lee, and William Bond.

Logan Andrews - 3rd Place - Bronze Medal (Image: Submitted)

The club has expressed its gratitude to the members of its coaching team, Adi, Daisy, and Yonas, for their support.

They also thanked the area committee, referees, and officials for organising the event and "making it a great day of judo for everyone."

The club said it has room for new members and beginners to join some junior and senior classes.

For more information, contact elydojo@gmail.com.