Western Australian cadet Kaian Kelly (UWA Judo Club) continued his international development with consecutive appearances on the European Cadet Cup circuit, representing Australia in Poland and Portugal.
Competing in the men’s under-60kg division, Kaian faced two exceptionally deep fields containing many of Europe’s leading emerging judoka. The tour provided another valuable opportunity to experience different competitive styles and test his judo at a high international level.
Bielsko-Biała Cadet European Cup
Kaian’s first competition was the Bielsko-Biała Millennium Team Cadet European Cup, held in Poland on 16 May.
The event attracted 757 competitors from 36 nations, with 63 athletes entered in Kaian’s under-60kg division—one of the competition’s largest categories. Kaian entered the tournament among the leading-ranked competitors in the field. Official IJF event page
After receiving a bye in the opening round, Kaian faced Czech judoka Jiří Smerák.
Smerák had earned his place in the contest by defeating Poland’s Filip Pacholak in the preliminary round. He then brought Kaian’s tournament to an end in their round-of-32 encounter.
The Czech athlete advanced to the round of 16, where he was defeated by Austria’s Sergios Samartzidis. Because Smerák did not progress to the quarter-finals, Kaian was not brought back into the repechage and finished outside the official placings. Smerák also finished unplaced. Official under-60kg draw
Although it was a short competitive outing, Bielsko-Biała gave Kaian first-hand exposure to the depth and intensity of European cadet judo. With more than 60 athletes in his category, every contest presented a significant international challenge.
Faro Cadet European Cup
One week later, Kaian returned to competition at the Faro Millennium Team Cadet European Cup in Portugal.
Faro featured 582 competitors representing 31 nations, including another large under-60kg field of 62 athletes. Official IJF event page
Kaian again received an opening-round bye before meeting Canada’s Felix Leonard in the round of 32.
He made an emphatic start to his competition, defeating Leonard by ippon after only 26 seconds. It was an impressive result against an opponent who had won his preliminary contest against Spain’s Kevin Alvarez Lopez.
The victory advanced Kaian to the round of 16, where he faced host-nation competitor Afonso Soalheiro.
Soalheiro had arrived at their contest following two victories, overcoming Italy’s Simone Vanara before defeating France’s Joshua Marmier. Kaian remained competitive during a contest lasting three minutes and 53 seconds, registering a score of his own before Soalheiro secured the decisive ippon.
The Portuguese athlete progressed to the pool final but was defeated by Spain’s Maksim Migunov Gomez. Because Soalheiro did not reach the semi-finals, Kaian did not qualify for the repechage. Soalheiro ultimately finished outside the official placings.
Valuable international experience
While the two tournaments did not produce a final placing, Kaian gained important experience across three contests against athletes from the Czech Republic, Canada and Portugal.
His rapid victory in Faro demonstrated his ability to impose himself decisively at this level, while the contests in Poland and Portugal provided further exposure to the tactical variety and competitive pressure found on the European circuit.
Competing in fields of 63 and 62 athletes also underlined the scale of the challenge. These tournaments are designed to bring together many of the strongest cadets from Europe and beyond, making every contest valuable for a developing Australian athlete.
Kaian’s European appearances represented another important step in his development, providing lessons and experience that he can carry into future international competitions.
