Judo club grabs a chance to spar with the best
PARALYMPIC athletes from Mongolia have been given a warm welcome after arriving in Crawley to train with members of a local judo club.
Judo players Aijim Munkhbat and Dashtseren Ganbat arrived in Crawley on Friday for their pre-Games training camp.
They have been sparring at the town's K2 leisure centre every day with members of the Kin Ryu Judo Club.
Both of the Mongolian athletes are visually impaired.
Mr Ganbat is competing in the 90kg event and Mr Munkhbat is taking part in the 60kg category while also having the honour of carrying the Mongolian flag in the opening ceremony.
Lisa Harrison, a coach at the judo club, established in 1976, said: "We first heard that the Mongolian Paralympians needed training partners when they arrived last week.
"It was organised all last minute but we have had about 18 of our members jumping at the chance to spar with them.
"This is something our members will never get to experience again – training with athletes a week before they take part in the Paralympic Games, it doesn't get much better than that.
"We have had a bit of responsibility on our shoulders because we obviously don't want the athletes to get injured but at the same time we want to help make sure they are in peak condition.
"We have all learnt so much. You would hardly notice that there is any difference between Olympic and Paralympic judo and our members have taken their dedication on board.
"They are both of a really good standard."
The last sparring session is tomorrow (Thursday) before the Paralympians travel to the athletes' village.
However, they are not the only people who will be making the journey to London.
Kin Ryu Judo Club coaches Lisa, Martin Rivers and Peter Seymour are all officials at the Paralympics and will be staying at the village too.
They will play an organisational role to make sure the judo schedule runs smoothly by ensuring the competitors and referees are in place at the right time.
The Paralympic martial art is played by athletes who are blind or have a visual impairment.
There is very little difference between the Olympic and Paralympic sport.
In the Paralympics competitors are brought together to grip so they start each contest in physical contact compared to the Olympic discipline where the athletes start apart.
The judo events are taking place at the ExCeL centre in London from August 30 to September 1.
Judo players Aijim Munkhbat and Dashtseren Ganbat arrived in Crawley on Friday for their pre-Games training camp.
They have been sparring at the town's K2 leisure centre every day with members of the Kin Ryu Judo Club.
Both of the Mongolian athletes are visually impaired.
Mr Ganbat is competing in the 90kg event and Mr Munkhbat is taking part in the 60kg category while also having the honour of carrying the Mongolian flag in the opening ceremony.
Lisa Harrison, a coach at the judo club, established in 1976, said: "We first heard that the Mongolian Paralympians needed training partners when they arrived last week.
"It was organised all last minute but we have had about 18 of our members jumping at the chance to spar with them.
"This is something our members will never get to experience again – training with athletes a week before they take part in the Paralympic Games, it doesn't get much better than that.
"We have had a bit of responsibility on our shoulders because we obviously don't want the athletes to get injured but at the same time we want to help make sure they are in peak condition.
"We have all learnt so much. You would hardly notice that there is any difference between Olympic and Paralympic judo and our members have taken their dedication on board.
"They are both of a really good standard."
The last sparring session is tomorrow (Thursday) before the Paralympians travel to the athletes' village.
However, they are not the only people who will be making the journey to London.
Kin Ryu Judo Club coaches Lisa, Martin Rivers and Peter Seymour are all officials at the Paralympics and will be staying at the village too.
They will play an organisational role to make sure the judo schedule runs smoothly by ensuring the competitors and referees are in place at the right time.
The Paralympic martial art is played by athletes who are blind or have a visual impairment.
There is very little difference between the Olympic and Paralympic sport.
In the Paralympics competitors are brought together to grip so they start each contest in physical contact compared to the Olympic discipline where the athletes start apart.
The judo events are taking place at the ExCeL centre in London from August 30 to September 1.
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