A team from Northern Ireland has returned home with an impressive medal haul from the Commonwealth Judo Championships.
The major competition took place from September 25-29 in Walsall, England, and brought together Judo players from over 20 countries.
A staggering 1000 competitors were all vying for the title of Commonwealth Judo Champion, including a strong team of 41 athletes from Northern Ireland who crossed the channel gunning for glory.
And that's just what they did, claiming 13 medals at the University of Wolverhampton’s Walsall Campus - including two gold, three silver and eight bronze.
That saw Northern Ireland finish fifth on the overall medal table.
The championships also proved a memorable moment for two father and son pairings in the Northern Ireland team, hailing from Belfast and Coleraine.
Not only did Northern Ireland have competitors at the event, officials were also represented with two referees and two table officials attending.
Northern Ireland Judo Federation Chairman Bill Taggart said: “We’re delighted not only with the results, but the way our players conducted themselves in victory or defeat was a massive accolade to them and the sport.
"The team outperformed expectations and this is down to the hard work put in at the clubs with the coaches.
"Although you compete as an individual there is always a team behind you in the preparation. On behalf of everyone in the Federation I would like to congratulate all the players, coaches, officials and supporters for representing Northern Ireland so well.”
Anyone interested in getting involved in Judo should check out nijudo.com
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