After a promising first year, Judo des Hauts-de-France is back in the Judo Pro League. The Nordic team has opted for continuity, with a squad similar to that of last year.

For Gérard Guilbault, President of the Ligue des Hauts-de-France, "a long story is underway" for this franchise which, under the impetus of its regional technical structure and with Lilian Barreyre at its head, continues to develop. After a year of discovery, the aim is now to structure the team's activity with the gradual arrival of sponsors and the mobilization of the Northern judoka community.

The Judo Pro League in Hauts-de-France is a collective affair, and clubs from all over the region are mobilized. "A regional team means that the best hopefuls are not concentrated in a single large club, which would avoid creating discontent among the others," explains Gérard Guilbault, who is also a club president. "I'm a great believer in this model, which avoids uprooting athletes and impoverishing clubs.

In terms of entertainment, the whole region will once again be vibrating to the rhythm of the Pro League: after Wasquehal (Nord), Tergnier (Aisne) and Verquin (Pas-de-Calais), Nogent-sur-Oise (Oise) and Amiens (Somme) will host this year's elimination matches. Waiting to host a quarter-final? That's what Luka Lomidze and his team-mates are hoping for!