Zimbabwe's junior judokas have returned from South Africa with an impressive haul of 45 medals, prompting the Zimbabwe Judo Association (ZJA) to honour the athletes at a certificate presentation ceremony held on August 6.

The young team competed at the Judo School Champions 2026 tournament in South Africa, winning 16 gold, 12 silver and 17 bronze medals in a performance that association leaders say signals a bright future for the sport in Zimbabwe.

Speaking during the certificate presentation ceremony, ZJA president Moses Mutende praised the athletes, coaches and parents who accompanied the delegation, describing the trip as a major milestone for the association.

"I, as the President of the Zimbabwe Judo Association, together with the teachers, especially the coaches and parents who accompanied the children, are so happy about the South Africa trip because many of the athletes were minors," said Mutende.

"To the parents, I was mind-blown by how patient they were throughout the competition. As the newly elected president, this is the biggest team that has travelled so far since judo started in Zimbabwe. We had a delegation of 54 people, and they brought back an amazing number of medals."

Mutende said the success was particularly significant because the majority of the athletes were under the age of 12.

"It was a big milestone for us because these are schoolchildren. If we continue growing the sport in schools, by the time these children are 16 or 18 years old, we will have elite athletes. When development starts at the age of four, five or six, by the time they reach adulthood, we will have proper athletes representing Zimbabwe at regional and international level," he said.

Coach Sensei Allen Ganje, who travelled with the team to South Africa, said the results were encouraging and reflected the potential within Zimbabwe's young judo ranks.

"Truly speaking, it is something that really makes us happy because these athletes are still young, which means we have a long way to go. But so far, everyone is doing very well," said Ganje.

With the team now preparing for a regional competition in Zambia, Ganje said expectations were high despite the tougher challenge ahead.

"The Zambia tournament will be different because it will involve cadets and seniors. The Zambian athletes are tough, so we have to prepare well, be strong and be ready. We have already started our training camp, and we are expecting more gold medals," he said.

Ganje explained that selection for national teams is based on rankings, with the top three athletes in each weight category earning places in the squad.

Former Zimbabwe Judo Association president and current regional president Smart Deke described the South Africa campaign as evidence of the sport's rapid growth in the country.

"When I became president in 2017, we only took four children to South Africa for competition. Last year, we sent about 32 children, and this year the number increased to around 45 competitors. I have seen very good growth in terms of our children participating at international level," said Deke.

He added that Zimbabwe continues to make steady progress in regional rankings.

"When it comes to children, Zimbabwe is ranked number two in the region. For seniors, we are ranked around number three. Angola remains the strongest team, followed by South Africa and Zambia, but Zimbabwe is improving and closing the gap," he said.