The new coach sets the following goals for himself and the team:
- Improving the skills of individual pairs in the national team, acquiring new adepts who would like to improve in this type of judo, inviting guests from abroad – coaches, referees, titled competitors.
- Creating training centres, including academic ones, in various parts of Poland. Perhaps judo kata will be included in the programme of the Polish Academic Championships.
- Obtaining financial resources necessary to travel to take part in competitions, training, purchasing sports equipment, covering the costs of stay of invited coaches.
- Training of referees.
I dream of medals, of course. We plan to take part in the European Championships (Riga, turn of May and June of the current year), the World Championships (Sarajevo, November) and at least 3-4 European Cup competitions. In addition, the Polish Championships and two Polish Cups are planned. This year, the participation in international competitions will count towards the world ranking. We will try to ensure that all our pairs are as high in this ranking as possible. This is a big challenge, but we have to take care of recognition now, because the authorities of the World Judo Federation (IJF) have made efforts to also include this judo discipline in the programme of the Olympic Games in Australia in 2032
– says the new national team coach.
Mgr. Leszek Piąstka started training judo at the age of 10. He is currently a coach of the master class of judo, he has 7 DAN. He teaches the judo section of the Academic Sports Association of the University of Lodz, he is also a coach of the competitive judo section of AZS Łódź. As a coach, together with judo players, he has won about 100 medals in the World and European Cups, Polish Championships and Polish Academic Championships. He has been competing as a player in the non-Olympic judo competition – judo kata, in a pair with Anna Jagiełło, also an employee of the Physical Education and Sports Centre, University of Lodz since 2015. Judo kata is an increasingly popular competition all over the world. Almost 300 competitors from 32 countries from 5 continents took part in the last World Championships in Las Vegas.
The new coach is also a member of the Judo Kata National Team. His greatest achievements include the bronze medal in the European Judo Kata Championships (2021), as well as the World Championship finals (4th place World Judo Kata Championships Lisbon 2021, 5th place World Judo Kata Championships Cancún 2018, 7th place World Judo Kata Championships Chung-Ju), the European Championship finals (6th place Rijeka 2022, 8th place Podrctrek 2023) and the European Cup finals. In addition, his achievements include International Czech Championships, 1st place (2018) and Grand Prix Italia, 3rd place (Pordenone 2024).
Leszek Piąstka is the current Polish Judo Kata Champion (Kodokan Goshin Jutsu). He has claimed 11 Polish Championship medals, including 10 gold ones.
Judo is a very popular Olympic discipline. It is considered by the WHO to be one of the most health-promoting disciplines, with great educational value. In addition, judo has been recognised as the best "first" sport, i.e. one that perfectly prepares for practicing any other physical activity, if a young judo practitioner does not want to continue their career in this sport. It is an Olympic discipline, but you can also practice judo and compete as an amateur (adult – beginner), a veteran (after turning 35 – the oldest competitors are over 70!), a disabled person (mainly visually impaired and mentally disabled) and in kata competition – katas can be performed in competition either individually, in pairs or as a team.
Source: Physical Education and Sports Centre, University of Lodz
Edit: Press Office, University of Lodz
Photos: archive of L. Piąstka