One European University Championship title, one runner-up finish, and three bronze medals. The UGA judokas excelled on the tatami in Warsaw in both individual and team events against the best competitors from European universities.
Judo, karate, kickboxing, and taekwondo. Organized under the auspices of the European University Sports Association (
EUSA), the European University Combat Sports Championships (
EUC Combat Sports 2025) took place from August 21 to 26, 2025, in Warsaw, Poland. With more than 320 athletes from 144 universities and 27 different countries, the level of competition in the individual judo events at these championships was particularly high.
Fifteen students from UGA and the UGA Sports Association participated in this competition, most of whom held “high-level student athlete” status. As the reigning French champion, the UGA mixed judo team automatically qualified for these championships. In the individual events, 14 judokas (including one from Grenoble INP–UGA) and one karateka donned their kimonos to take on Europe’s top competitors.
Two European titles and three bronze medals
Just a few months after their achievements at the French University Championships in 1
re judo division where they had won
9 medals, the UGA judokas proudly represented France and their university on the tatami mats in Poland.
Léna Bonnamy, a student in the Sports Science program, is now the new European University Judo Champion in the -57 kg weight class. Also in the women’s division, Emilie Dando, another student in the Sports Science program, claimed the title of European University Judo runner-up in the -63 kg weight class.
From left to right and top to bottom: Léna Bonnamy, gold medalist (2nd from the left), Emilie Dando, silver medalist (1st from the left), David Ali (4th from the left), and Mohamed Guerrirem (3rd from the left), bronze medalists © AZS Warszawa
Following the gold and silver medals won by the female judokas, the men’s team won two bronze medals. The following athletes took the podium: Mohamed Guerrirem (a MIASH student) in the -60 kg weight class, and David Ali (a BUT GEA student) in the -100 kg weight class.
In the team championship, UGA won a superb bronze medal. As the reigning French university champion, UGA’s mixed judo team finished in 3rd place
e out of 13 competing teams, thanks to the performances of Léna Bonnay, Eliné Bertino, Emilie Dando, Ambre Castella, Melvin Bouzekar, Samson Nicod, Silène Ferriol, Alessandro Regonesi, and K David Ali.
Note the three beautiful 5s
es medals won by Aleyna Kupeli (in the -48 kg weight class), Eliné Bertino (in the -57 kg weight class), and Alessandro Regonesi (in the -100 kg weight class).
Elite Sports on the UGA Tatami Mats
To help students balance their studies with
elite sports, the UGA offers several innovative support programs, including the University Training and Coaching Centers (
CUFE). Established in seven sports, including judo, the CUFEs are based on the pooling of resources: the university provides its sports facilities, while the sports community provides technical staff and coaches. Since September 2023, UGA judokas have also been able to join the Pôle France in Grenoble right on the UGA’s own tatami mats.
The
CUFE Judo and the
Pôle France Judo are the result of a collaboration between the UGA, France Judo, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Judo League, and the National Sports Agency (ANS). Its mission is to support elite athletes (listed by the Ministry of Sports), as well as athletes with potential (at the national level—FFJ junior or senior
first division).
