Christmas time has begun. The scent of cinnamon and pine green is in the winter air, buildings shine with festive splendor and in many places – despite all the hectic pace – things become a little quieter and more harmonious. This is a good moment to pause and reflect on the past year.
The year 2025 was once again rich in events and challenges. However, none of this would have been possible without the great commitment of many people who took responsibility, pitched in and filled the sport of judo in Berlin with life. The trainer and referee training and further education, including the newly established ones
Youth referee training was successfully carried out. The annual kata course with the Kodokan once again enjoyed international participation. The two European Cups in Berlin were a complete success – despite the challenging hotel situation. All state and group championships were also organized by the Berlin state association.
I would like to thank everyone involved very much for all of this. They made a significant contribution to ensuring that the Berlin Judo Association was perceived as an active, reliable and confidently operating association in 2025.
From a sporting perspective, I would particularly like to highlight Tabea Mecklenburg, Melvin Noack and Losseni Kone from our base, who were able to recommend themselves for the European and World Championships this year. Tabea won the bronze medal at the Junior World Championships in Lima. Melvin also won bronze together with the mixed team at the Junior European Championships in Bratislava, which subsequently earned him a nomination for the World Championships.
In the kata area, Leo Tetzeli and Udo Tietz were nominated for the 2025 European Kata Championships in Riga – a deserved recognition of their ongoing commitment. The competition is strong, but both continue to work hard to turn the nomination into a medal place in the future.
In terms of personnel, the year 2025 was not without challenges, as we had to work without U18 and U21 state coaches. I am all the more pleased to be able to announce that from 2026 there will again be a U18 national coach, who we will introduce at the beginning of the new year. We are also optimistic about the future vacancies. My special thanks go to the coaching team at the base and the club coaches, who took on responsibility during this time and were committed to filling the vacant positions.
I would also like to thank Winston Gordon for his work on the Berlin mat over the past four and a half years. We wish him all the best and much success in his new professional role in Great Britain.
There will be further minor adjustments to the rule interpretation for 2026. The experiences from 2025 have shown how dynamically our sport is developing. The final introduction of the digital judo pass also remains exciting. Even if the start doesn’t always go smoothly, I am convinced that this digitalization will soon be perceived as a real relief. Let’s use the knowledge and support of those who already have experience here to successfully follow this path together.
At the end of the year, a decision by the IJF also caused discussions: the return of Russian judoka under their own flag and anthem. Proclaimed under the motto “Sport – the last bridge for reconciliation and peace”, it is to be hoped that these words will be filled with life. In a world full of conflict and suffering, most people want one thing above all: peace.
With this in mind, I wish you all a peaceful and contemplative Christmas with your loved ones and a good start into the new year. Let’s shape the year 2026 together, respectfully and committedly – in the spirit of our sport and our values.
“Judo – more than sport. A community of values that moves and inspires.”
With Christmas greetings
Thomas Jüttner
president
Judo-Verband Berlin eV
