Quinte Judo Club was off to Waterloo this past Saturday for the annual Asahi Judo tournament.
This is the first official event for club member Roya Shafai, competing in her senior 57 kg weight division where she earned second place.
The tournament was considered a warm-up event in order to get a feel for her competition at next month’s Hatashita Open Ontario Judo Championships (draws competitors from across North America).
Shafai got a bit of a rude awakening in her first match, losing early by a full point (ends the match).
It is awkward when you are not given an official time frame for your match and Roya was just finishing a late lunch (in another part of the building) when they called her up.
Shafai ended her next two matches early with a full point, with one being a perfect throw on her opponent.
The next win she threw her opponent and pinned her shortly after, which combined for a quick end to the match.
Roya came to Canada as an International student just over two years ago from Afghanistan, being awarded an athletic scholarship through the “Women Leaders of Tomorrow” program (studying Loyalist college’s “Fitness & Health” course). In her home country, sports were banned for women after the Taliban took control and she was a member of their National Judo Team. Since graduating from Loyalist in April, she has obtained a job in her field. Now she can focus on Judo.
Roya Shafai in blue battling in Waterloo in Judo (Photo: supplied to Quinte News)
