The 2026 Skopje Junior European Cup concluded on 9 August with Germany the most successful delegation, winning six of the fourteen titles. The two-day competition brought together 317 junior judoka from 33 countries and regions, with 211 men and 106 women on the entry list.
Germany's champions were Demetre Makalatiya (men's under-66 kg), Raphael Akoto (men's under-73 kg), Konstantin Distel (men's under-90 kg), Klara Erten (women's under-52 kg), Sveyarike Konrad (women's under-63 kg) and Mia Manukyan (women's under-78 kg).
The other men's titles went to Hryhory Zurnachan of Belarus (under-60 kg), Anton Dubovik of Belarus (under-81 kg), Davud Namazli of Azerbaijan (under-100 kg) and Ioannis Kostelidis of Greece (over-100 kg). In the women's events, Maelys Dapa of Belgium won the under-48 kg title, Khadizha Gadashova of Azerbaijan took under-57 kg, Nadie Jaafar of Bulgaria won under-70 kg and Roxana Visa of Romania claimed the over-78 kg crown.
Skopje has become a regular venue on the European judo calendar. The city hosted the 2025 European Judo Championships for Cadets and continues to invest in developing its capacity to stage international-level events. For many of the young athletes, the tournament offered valuable ranking points and international experience ahead of the European Junior Championships, which will take place in Podgorica, Montenegro, from 3 to 6 September.
A junior training camp took place in Skopje from 10 to 12 August, following the European Cup. Around 170 male and female athletes from 17 nations took part, using the opportunity to sharpen their form ahead of the Junior European Championships. The international randori sessions gave judoka the chance to face different styles and opponents, and the camp was widely regarded as a positive step in the development of the sport.