The anniversary tournament in Leverkusen is celebrating its milestone anniversary, drawing roughly 1,200 athletes from 227 clubs to the Leichtathletikhalle in Leverkusen-Manfort.
International Field Converges on Leverkusen for Anniversary Tournament
Competitors for the milestone event are traveling far beyond North Rhine-Westphalia. Clubs from Belgium, Luxembourg, France, and the Netherlands are represented on the entry lists, alongside judoka from numerous German federal states including Brandenburg, Berlin, Bavaria, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate, Schleswig-Holstein, Saxony, Thuringia, and Baden-Württemberg. For the host, roughly 40 judoka are scheduled to step onto the mats across the U14, U17, and U20 age brackets, battling through various weight classes over the weekend.
Rapid Growth in Participant Numbers Highlights Event Significance
The upward trajectory of the tournament underscores its rising prominence. Organizers noted that the competition drew roughly 750 participants in 2025, up from about 600 competitors in 2024, before surging to the current benchmark of nearly 1,200 athletes.
Logistics and Community Effort Behind the Mats
Staging a competition of this magnitude requires extensive work away from the competition area. Numerous volunteers construct the large judo setup inside the Leichtathletikhalle at Kalkstraße 46 and manage operations throughout the weekend. Michael Weyres, the judo department head, emphasized the collective scale of the undertaking, noting that while the athletes remain the focus, a vast network of people works behind the scenes to keep the event running smoothly. Weyres extended particular thanks to the volunteers, coaches, referees, parents, and the organizing team.
Schedule, Ticketing, and Venue Information
Competition gets underway on Saturday, September 26, and Sunday, September 27, with proceedings opening at 9:30 a.m. local venue time on both days. Spectators are welcome to attend. Admission is set at five euros, while children aged ten and older pay two euros, and younger children enter free of charge. The venue is located at the Leichtathletikhalle on Kalkstraße 46 in Leverkusen-Manfort. Motorists attending the event are advised to utilize the designated parking lot at Moosweg.
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