Judo at Tirana 2026
Everything you need for the Judo competition at the European Universities Combat Sports Championships Tirana 2026 — schedule, venue, categories, regulations and logistics.
Programme
The detailed daily competition schedule will be published after registration has closed and the number of athletes in each category has been confirmed.
Documents to download and fill out
Required declarations for Judo participants. Complete and submit as part of the accreditation process.
General Technical Meeting
"Liria" Building, Qyteti Studenti
Attendance is compulsory for the Head of Delegation or another authorised representative. At the first GTM, the Head of Delegation shall confirm and sign the official list of athletes — any entry not duly confirmed will not be taken into consideration except for force majeure. Decisions communicated during the GTM are binding.
Key locations
| Service | Location |
|---|---|
| Participant Accommodation | City of Students Dormitories — Qyteti Studenti, Tirana |
| Competition Venue | Feti Borova Olympic Park, Tirana |
| Accreditation Centre | Qyteti Studenti, Tirana |
| General Technical Meeting | "Liria" Building, Qyteti Studenti |
| Training & Warm-up Areas | Qyteti Studenti and Feti Borova Olympic Park (final details TBA) |
| Catering Area | Catering Tent, Qyteti Studenti |
| Closing Ceremony | "Liria" Building, Qyteti Studenti |
| Main Information Centre | Qyteti Studenti |
Accommodation
All registered participants will be accommodated at the City of Students Dormitories — Qyteti Studenti, a university residential campus in Tirana. Participants will primarily stay in shared two-person bedrooms or four-person residential units with shared bathroom and shower facilities. Free Wi-Fi will be available throughout the accommodation area.
Participants must first complete accreditation before receiving their room key card. Those departing later may leave luggage in the designated storage area at reception.
EUSA representatives, technical delegates, referees and designated officials will be accommodated separately in selected four-star hotels in Tirana. Final hotel assignments will be communicated directly before the Championships.
Competition venue
Feti Borova Olympic Park is one of Albania's principal indoor sporting facilities and regularly hosts national and international sports competitions. The venue will include official competition tatami areas, athlete warm-up areas, last-call and waiting areas, referee and technical-official rooms, medical and first-aid services, competition-management and results areas, spectator seating, media and VIP areas, and accreditation-controlled access zones. The final venue layout and number of competition tatami areas will be communicated before the Championship.
Training and warm-up
Training and warm-up opportunities will be available during the Championship period near the accommodation areas and in the competition venues according to EUSA minimum requirements. The final training locations, operating hours, booking procedure and transport arrangements will be communicated through the Accreditation Centre, the General Technical Meeting, the Official Information Centre and the Judo WhatsApp group. Warm-up areas at Feti Borova Olympic Park will be reserved primarily for athletes preparing for their scheduled contests.
Accreditation Centre
The Accreditation Centre will be located at Qyteti Studenti, Tirana, and will serve participants from all four sports. The final operating hours will be announced by the Organising Committee.
Only the Head of Delegation, or another officially authorised university representative, should complete accreditation for the entire university team. Partial team accreditation is not permitted.
Required documents
- Athletes: Passport or national identity card; EUSA Certificate of Academic Eligibility for active students; university proof and graduation date for former students; signed declaration of liability.
- Officials: Passport or identity card; Individual Entry Form.
- Head of Delegation: Signed accommodation policy.
Accreditation card
The Accreditation Card is the only official access document for participants. It must remain clearly visible at accommodation facilities, competition venues, catering areas, ceremonies, official transport and restricted event zones. The card is personalised and non-transferable. Lost cards must be reported personally at the Accreditation Centre with a passport or valid ID.
Transportation
The official arrival and departure points are Tirana International Airport "Nënë Tereza" (TIA) and Tirana East Bus Terminal. Official shuttle routes: Airport ↔ Qyteti Studenti and East Bus Terminal ↔ Qyteti Studenti.
Transportation is available only to participants, officials and EUSA representatives registered in the official event system. Transport from private accommodation, other airports or unofficial locations will not be organised or financed by the Organising Committee.
Dedicated buses or other official arrangements will connect Qyteti Studenti with the competition venue.
Catering
Full-board catering will be provided for accredited participants from dinner on the official arrival day through breakfast on the departure day.
| Meal | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 07:00–10:00 | Catering Tent, Qyteti Studenti |
| Lunch | 12:00–14:30 | Feti Borova Olympic Park |
| Dinner | 18:00–20:00 | Catering Tent, Qyteti Studenti |
Dietary requirements — including allergies, food intolerances and religious restrictions — must be submitted in advance through the official registration system. Participants may be required to present their Accreditation Card when accessing catering services.
Closing Ceremony
"Liria" Building, Qyteti Studenti
Teams gather at the main entrance of the Liria Building from 19:00. Official university or team uniform required; at least one representative per university must take part in the procession; Accreditation Card must be worn visibly.
International regulations
The organisation of the EUC Judo shall be mainly based on the most recent Technical Regulations of the European Judo Union (EJU) and the International Judo Federation (IJF).
Competition categories
Delegations
The delegation will consist of athletes and team officials from their respective university. The Head of Delegation must be appointed. Athletes shall have a minimum brown belt.
Competition format
The competition format will be determined by the Competition Technical Commission after considering the final number of registered athletes in each category. The final elimination system, repechage format, competition duration and team-event format will follow the applicable IJF, EJU and EUSA regulations.
Weigh-in
The official weigh-in for each category will take place on the day before the relevant competition. A random weigh-in will be organised before the first contests on each individual competition day, starting 45 minutes before the beginning of the competition. There will be no random weigh-in for the Mixed Team Tournament.
For the team tournament there is a 2 kg tolerance for athletes who competed in the individual Championships the day before the team weigh-in, while athletes who compete on the day on which the team weigh-in is scheduled do not need to weigh themselves (Categories — W: -70 kg, -78 kg, +78 kg; M: -81 kg, -90 kg, -100 kg, +100 kg).
Draw and seeding
The draw will be done in the presence of an EUSA Representative taking into account EUSA Judo, IJF and EJU rankings, carried out by software authorised by the IJF. Teams from the same country shall, whenever possible, be placed in different pools.
Uniforms
White and blue IJF-approved judogi are obligatory and all competitors must have both types, with official IJF back number. All judogi must conform to the current regulations regarding size, materials etc., but it is not required that a judogi is purchased from the currently selected IJF manufacturers list of suppliers. The judogi and belt size will be controlled by sokuteiki.
Awards
University cups and medals (first, second and both third places) will be awarded to individual and team athletes, carrying the title of European Universities Champion.
Competition officials
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| EUSA Technical Delegate | Dr hab. Wiesław Błach |
| National Technical Delegate | Shkurt Cullhaj |
| EJU Event Administrator | TBA |
| EJU Referee Commissioner | TBA |
| Local Technical Assistant | TBA |
Information Centre
The main Information Centre will be located at Qyteti Studenti and will normally operate daily from 09:00 to 14:00. Hours may be extended according to operational requirements. Competition Offices or Information Points will also operate at Feti Borova Olympic Park on competition days.
For general, transport, accommodation, catering or operational enquiries: combatsports2026@eusa.eu
WhatsApp & socials
Join the official Judo WhatsApp group for direct updates, coordination and news throughout the competition.
Scan the QR code or use the link below to join the Judo group chat directly.
Click the QR image or the link above to go straight to the group chat.