Judo Nice Métropole, the only team to have won the first three editions of the competition*, have won their first three matches of the season, and are well on the way to a smooth passage through the qualifiers once again. Provided they negotiate their second trip on January 13 to the tatamis of FLAM 91 well, moderates Côte d'Azur club president Mohamed Otmane. «It'll be double or nothing, as the winner will finish this phase unbeaten, with a quarter at home. And depending on the other results on this fourth day, if we lose, we could even find ourselves facing them again at home for a place in the Final Four.In any case, it's going to be one of the tightest clashes of the season, which has seen the level of competition rise several notches this year. As our three narrow victories have made clear, it's getting harder to do well in this Judo Pro League, where new teams have stepped up to the plate and are setting their sights high. With four foreign competitors allowed per team, it's not an easy task, but we're continuing to focus on local fighters. Nor should we lose sight of the fact that we're the most geographically isolated team on the plateau, with significant travel costs each time. But we're always there, proud to defend our colors in this now unmissable event.»

 

 

In the interest of the region

 

Although the merger between Nice Judo and OJ Nice was by no means obvious at the outset, the pooling of resources generated by the creation of this new type of event has certainly shaken things up. «Between Nice Judo, which focuses more on women, and OJ Nice, which concentrates on men, and not forgetting the contribution of JC Monaco, the complementary nature of this competition format quickly became apparent., continues Mohamed Otmane. Today, we're all thinking in terms of the region's interests, and we can be proud of what we've achieved together. This is particularly true of the »Pôle Espoirs", where most of those who defend our colors have already passed through.There's a sense of loyalty that could prove lasting.» The winner of the second season - more than three-quarters of whose regulars this season have a national junior title or a medal at senior level - is likely to be in the news again in 2026...

* Finalist in 2022, winner in 2023/2024 and third in 2024/2025