The third edition of the Judo Summer Camp in Ukraine brought together young athletes and coaches from across the country. Organised by Georgii Zantaraia, President of the Kyiv Judo Federation, the camp welcomed three special guests: Italy’s Manuel Lombardo and Georgians Luka Maisuradze and Zebeda Rekhviashvili.
Zantaraia knows the road to the highest level very well. World champion at -60 kg in Rotterdam in 2009, he collected six world championship medals during his career and also became a three-time European champion. Today, his experience serves another purpose: creating opportunities for a new generation to train, learn and dream.
That was precisely the spirit of the camp. Techniques were demonstrated and repeated, randori followed randori and advice was exchanged, but some of the most important lessons went beyond technical instruction. Young judoka could observe how champions train, how they approach the fundamentals and how years of elite competition have shaped their understanding of judo.
Manuel Lombardo brought considerable experience to the tatami. Junior world champion in 2018, European champion in 2021 and twice a senior world championship silver medallist, in 2021 and 2023, the Italian also finished fifth at the Tokyo Olympic Games. For the young participants, training alongside an athlete who has fought in world finals suddenly made the highest level feel a little closer. The champion seen in major competitions became a training partner and teacher.
Luka Maisuradze offered another perspective. The Georgian became world champion at -90 kg in Doha in 2023 and has established himself among the leading athletes of his generation. His presence showed that excellence is not something abstract, it is constructed through repetition, discipline, attention to detail and the willingness to continue learning.
Zebeda Rekhviashvili completed the group of international guests. The Georgian judoka competed internationally at -73 kg and -81 kg and earned medals on the World Judo Tour during a long career. His experience added another voice and another judo journey to those being shared with the younger generation.
Different countries, generations, styles and careers therefore met on the same tatami, yet the language was common; a grip needs little translation, neither does a demonstration, randori or the gesture of helping a partner back to their feet.
There was also room for something competition can sometimes push into the background: simply enjoying judo. The participants trained hard but they also met new people, laughed, exchanged experiences and discovered how far the judo family extends beyond their own clubs and cities.
For a few days, world-class athletes and young judoka shared the same space. Their experience and ambitions may have been different but they were united by the same desire to progress. That is perhaps the simplest expression of what Judo Summer Camp 3 offered: knowledge passed from one generation to another, experience transformed into inspiration and young judoka given another reason to imagine where their own journey might take them. This was an example of one tatami, many journeys and the same passion for judo.
