Heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, Corsican judo intends to take its place among the regional sporting elite, dominated by soccer. "We've gone up to over 2,500 licensees, but we'll be down to 1,900 by 2022," notes regional technical director Yves Camuzet, who is responsible for development in a region that is smaller and less accessible than others. Ajaccio Judo, the biggest club on the Isle of Beauty, has 220 members. On the mainland, it would only be a medium-sized club. Because a conurbation of 60,000 inhabitants can hardly compete with others with up to three times the population. Nevertheless, "it's been the number one club in terms of results for the last ten years", and the host of Judo Pro League matches, even though Porto-Vecchio, in the south of the island, is also involved in training.

Taking this limited pool into account, only half the team is made up of athletes licensed in Corsica. "But we're on the increase," says Yves Camuzet, who is also in charge of the Pôle Espoir. Built around Ajaccio, "simpler because it's at the heart of the organization" and close to numerous hotels and restaurants, Corsican judo nevertheless hopes to "decentralize" in the future, which would be a sign of growth and an extension of the sport to the whole island. In other words, good news.