University judo took centre stage at the UWA Recreation & Fitness Centre on Sunday, 27 September, as Judo Western Australia delivered the 2026 UniSport Nationals Judo competition. The JudoManager entry list featured 67 judoka — 52 men and 15 women — from 13 universities, with individual competition followed by the men's and women's team events.
Curtin University emerged as the 2026 Women's University Champion, while Monash University claimed the 2026 Men's University Champion title. Both universities also won their respective team events.
The championship tally included medals from both the individual and team events. Monash finished with 13 points in the men's competition, and Curtin led the women with eight.
The universities represented were Adelaide University, Australian National University, Curtin University, Edith Cowan University, Federation University, James Cook University, Macquarie University, Monash University, Murdoch University, RMIT University, the University of Sydney, the University of Technology Sydney and the University of Western Australia. The field brought together students from across Australia, including athletes representing all four WA universities on the entry list.
Monash takes the men's title
Monash built its men's campaign across six individual medal performances. Yu Fung Lam won the −60 kg title, Rain Lai and Ryan Chia took silver at −81 kg and −100 kg, and John Gabriel Dyhianto, Hassan Al Baghdadi and Philip Kupczyk added bronzes.
The University of Western Australia won two men's individual gold medals through Alexander Vasilyev at −81 kg and Stephen Omodunbi at −90 kg. RMIT University's Timeo Tournier, the University of Sydney's Nikola Dobric, Curtin's Kris Richter and Macquarie University's José Miguel Brache Jarquin were the other men's individual champions. Sydney's Dobric and Arnaud Maguet also completed a one-two finish in the −73 kg division.
The men's team competition brought a second title for Monash. After defeating Curtin in its opening team match and the University of Technology Sydney in the semi-final, Monash met host university UWA in the final. A close 3–2 victory secured gold for Monash, with UWA taking silver. Curtin and the University of Sydney shared bronze. In the final men's university standings, UWA finished second on eight points, with Curtin and Sydney equal third on seven.
Curtin completes the women's double
Curtin's Mihini Dassanayake won the women's −70 kg division, while Zara Aziz earned silver at −52 kg. The University of Sydney also enjoyed a strong individual campaign, with Seungyeon Kang winning −52 kg gold and Joanna Dang taking −63 kg bronze.
Western Australian judoka also claimed the other women's titles. UWA's Oren Kelly won the −57 kg division, and Edith Cowan University's Olivia Knights took gold at −63 kg after victories over Joanna Dang and the University of Technology Sydney's Jessica Kwok. Aziz's silver and Knights' gold were among the standout results for SouthWest Judo Academy athletes; Scott Fuerste also won men's −73 kg bronze for Curtin, while Uno Javier finished fifth at −66 kg.
Curtin then won the Women's Team Event, defeating the University of Sydney and Monash University in the team draw. The published team results place Curtin first and Sydney second. Those performances also secured the top two positions in the women's university championship, with Curtin on eight points and Sydney on six.
Individual medal results
Senior men
| Division | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| −60 kg | Yu Fung Lam (Monash) | Hung Yuan Chen (UTS) | Albert Stark (University of Sydney) |
| −66 kg | Timeo Tournier (RMIT) | Victor Seth Angnowen (Curtin) | John Gabriel Dyhianto (Monash); Nopasin Wanthip (UTS) |
| −73 kg | Nikola Dobric (University of Sydney) | Arnaud Maguet (University of Sydney) | Hassan Al Baghdadi (Monash); Scott Fuerste (Curtin) |
| −81 kg | Alexander Vasilyev (UWA) | Rain Lai (Monash) | Tom Waisberg (ANU); Jack Sarran (ANU) |
| −90 kg | Stephen Omodunbi (UWA) | Caspar D'Alton (UTS) | Valen Kostich (Adelaide University); Davgadorj Puntsag (UTS) |
| −100 kg | Kris Richter (Curtin) | Ryan Chia (Monash) | Philip Kupczyk (Monash) |
| +100 kg | José Miguel Brache Jarquin (Macquarie) | Lev Tarasenko (Adelaide University) | Odysseas Kolovisteas (James Cook University) |
Senior women
| Division | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| −52 kg | Seungyeon Kang (University of Sydney) | Zara Aziz (Curtin) | — |
| −57 kg | Oren Kelly (UWA) | Cindy Dang (Adelaide University) | — |
| −63 kg | Olivia Knights (Edith Cowan) | Jessica Kwok (UTS) | Joanna Dang (University of Sydney) |
| −70 kg | Mihini Dassanayake (Curtin) | — | — |
A team effort behind the event
The contest results tell only part of the story. Volunteers helped transform the UWA venue into a competition arena, moving and laying tatami, preparing the contest areas and ensuring the event was ready for the first matches. Throughout the day, they supported registration, athlete flow, table operations, the livestream, medal presentations and the many practical jobs that keep a tournament running. After the final presentation, they stayed to pack down and return the venue to normal.
Judo WA is grateful to everyone who gave their time before, during and after the competition. Their work, alongside the contribution of referees, officials and event staff, made it possible for students from 13 universities to compete on a national stage. Thank you also to the team at UniSport Australia for its collaboration and support in delivering the event.
Relive the action
All the action from the 2026 UniSport Nationals can be seen by visiting JudoManager. Photos from the event are available on Judo WA's Smugmug.
