The Battleford Judo Club is gearing up for one of the biggest events in their history.
They will be the hosts for the 2017 Judo Saskatchewan Provincial Championships, which will take place at the NationsWest Field House on Saturday, March 25.
“There’s going to be less driving for us so that will be a huge bonus,” Nate Burton, who competes in the boys’ under 14 and under 16 men’s division, joked. “Last year was my first year competing and I was able to go to the provincials in Prince Albert, which proved to be a great learning experience and a huge eye-opener for me.”
“There will be a lot of local people competing at the event and it will be great to see how their training has paid off over the course of the year,” Grace Burton, who is Nate’s sister and competes in the under 18 women’s division, added. “Plus, we’ll get to compete in front of our family and friends.”
A total of 150 competitors are expected to take part in the event, which will see athletes from all over the province.
“There’s a strong base of clubs in Moose Jaw, Regina and Saskatoon, but we are also expecting to see people coming from La Ronge, Lloydminster, Pense and Watrous for this event,” Sensei Mel Kozlowski said.
“It’s pretty exciting for everyone involved in the club. We have a great facilitiy here in the Battlefords and we can’t wait to show it off. Plus, we’re the host club for the 2018 Saskatchewan Winter Games, so it’s a good warm up event for us before that event comes here.”
Kozlowski expects a dozen competitors from the local judo club to take part in the provincials, with other members helping out behind the scenes.
“There’s a group of four members that will be using this event as a stepping stone towards the nationals in Calgary in May, as they are building towards the peak of their seasons,” Kozlowski said.
“For our younger athletes, this is their first time competing in a provincial championship, so it will be a great learning experience for them as they build towards the future.”
The provincial championships, which is free for spectators to attend, will get underway at 11 a.m.
