The Balmoral Judo Club is gearing up to host the Balmoral Open judo tournament for the 22nd time at the end of March in Stonewall. The tournament is scheduled for Saturday, March 29, at College Stonewall Collegiate, and Milton Good, the former head instructor at Balmoral and a senior black belt, anticipates between 130 and 140 competitors.
Balmoral judokas are expected to be in excellent form for the event, having recently competed in various events in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. They achieved multiple gold medals and podium finishes at the Selkirk Open on Feb. 22.
“It is good to see that their training and hard work is paying off and that they are progressing in their study of judo,” said Good. “All of us that instruct the club are very proud of them.”
The Balmoral judokas train twice a week, focusing on skill development, practice sparring, and fitness training. At the Selkirk Open, six members showcased their training.
Chase Wakeham and Avery Wakeham both earned gold medals at the tournament, with Chase winning two golds in the Senior Men’s Novice -81kg and Veteran Male divisions, while Avery secured gold in the U16 Male -50kg category. Additionally, Phoenix Wakeham received an award for participation in the U10 mixed division, which is a participation-only division.
Nathan Panchuk, Greg Panchuk, and Rhiannon James also showed well in Selkirk, picking up third place finishes in their respective divisions.
