26 July 2026
Since welcoming Team Nigeria to Ultimate Judo during their final preparations for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, we were delighted to see Enku Ekuta go on to claim a hard-fought bronze medal in the women’s -63kg category.
The result was particularly significant for Nigerian judo, ending a 24-year wait for a Commonwealth Games judo medal. Enku became Nigeria’s first Commonwealth Games judo medallist since Alice Livinus claimed bronze in 2002.
For everyone at Ultimate Judo, it made an already special experience even more memorable. Just weeks earlier, our members had been sharing the mat and training alongside Enku and the rest of Team Nigeria here at our dojo in Aberdeen.
To then watch an athlete who had been part of those sessions step onto the Commonwealth Games podium was fantastic.
A huge congratulations to Enku Ekuta and everyone at Team Nigeria on a historic achievement for Nigerian judo. It was a privilege to play a small part in their final preparations here in Aberdeen.
Ultimate Judo was delighted to welcome Team Nigeria to our Aberdeen dojo as part of the team's final preparations for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The visiting Nigerian judoka joined our members on the mat for a series of training sessions, giving players at Ultimate Judo the opportunity to train alongside international athletes preparing to compete on one of the biggest stages in Commonwealth sport.
For our members, it was a fantastic opportunity to experience the intensity and quality of training with an international team without having to leave Aberdeen.
At Ultimate Judo, we have always believed that one of the best ways to develop as a judoka is to experience different training partners, different styles of judo and different approaches to the sport.
Welcoming Team Nigeria to our dojo provided exactly that opportunity.
Our players were able to train and randori with members of the Nigerian team during the final stages of their Commonwealth Games preparation, creating a challenging but extremely positive atmosphere on the mat.
The response from our members was fantastic, with a brilliant turnout from players keen to take advantage of the opportunity.
For our younger and developing judoka in particular, being able to share the mat with international competitors provided a great reminder of where judo can take you and the opportunities that can come from staying involved in the sport.
The sessions weren't only about Ultimate Judo and Team Nigeria.
We were also delighted to welcome players from Aberdeen Judo Club and Turriff Judo Club, who joined us for training and helped create an excellent evening of inter-club randori.
It was great to see players from different clubs sharing the mat, challenging one another and enjoying judo together.
One of the biggest things we took away from the evening was just how valuable this type of inter-club judo training in Aberdeen and the North East of Scotland can be.
Different training partners create different problems to solve. They expose players to different gripping styles, movement and approaches to randori, while also allowing friendships to develop between clubs.
It's something we'd like to see much more of moving forward.
Hosting Team Nigeria also reflects something that has always been important to us at Ultimate Judo: creating opportunities for our members that go beyond their normal weekly judo class.
Since establishing Ultimate Judo in Aberdeen in 2010, we have tried to give our members opportunities to experience judo in as many different ways as possible — from beginners taking their first steps onto a judo mat to competition, gradings, international training and opportunities to learn from some of the world's leading judoka.
Having an international team choose to spend part of its final Commonwealth Games preparation training at our dojo was therefore something very special for the club.
The subsequent Commonwealth Games -63kg bronze medal for Enku Ekuta makes that experience even more memorable. Our members didn't simply meet an international team; they had the opportunity to train alongside an athlete who, just weeks later, would make history for Nigerian judo on the Commonwealth Games podium.
We'd like to thank Team Nigeria for being so welcoming to our members and for sharing their training time and experience with us.
Congratulations again to Enku and the whole Nigerian team on a historic Commonwealth Games achievement.
You don't need to be an international athlete to step onto the mat at Ultimate Judo.
We welcome complete beginners as well as experienced judoka, with judo classes in Aberdeen for children, teenagers and adults.
Whether you're looking for a new sport for your child, thinking about returning to judo after some time away, or you've always wondered what it would be like to try judo yourself, we'd be delighted to hear from you.
Take a look at our current class timetable or get in touch with Ultimate Judo to find the right class for you.
From someone's very first judo session to training alongside international athletes preparing for the Commonwealth Games, we're proud to keep creating opportunities on the mat here in Aberdeen.
3 July 2026
