Western Australian judoka Kaian Kelly from UWA Judo Club recently flew the flag for Australia at two major Cadet European Cup events as part of the 2025 Millennium Team tour.

Kranjska Gora Cadet European Cup – Slovenia (25–26 October)

Competing in the Under 60kg division, Kelly received a first-round bye before delivering an outstanding opening performance. He faced Montenegro’s Matej Milic and secured a decisive victory within the first minute—scoring a yuko in the opening seconds followed by a waza-ari and holding osaekomi for the ippon win.

Kelly then progressed to face Russia’s Aleksei Ermakov in the second round, where he was defeated by ippon. In the repechage, he met Switzerland’s Ramon Ebneter but was once again stopped by ippon, ending his run in Slovenia.

View Results – Kranjska Gora Cadet European Cup

Győr Cadet European Cup – Hungary (8–9 November)

The next stop for Kelly was Hungary, where he once again received a first-round bye. He faced Georgia’s Goga Sharvashidze, but an early ippon against him saw his competition come to an early close.

View Results – Győr Cadet European Cup

These back-to-back European appearances are a valuable part of Kaian’s development on the international stage, offering exposure to some of the world’s strongest young judoka. His opening-round win in Slovenia highlights his growing potential, and we look forward to seeing his continued progress through the Australian cadet ranks.