Team Bahamas came up winless at the 2018 World Junior Judo Championships, which wrapped up at the Atlantis Resort over the weekend.
Japan emerged as the winner of the five-day competition, defeating Brazil 5-1 in the final.
The final three local fighters competed on Saturday. Sasha Ingraham fell to Mercedesz Szigetvari from Hungary, in the +78-kilogram (kg) division, Daleon Sweeting lost to Tim Schmidt from Germany, in the men’s -90kg division, and Lyle Sherman lost in the first round to Muhammet Koc, from Turkey, in the -81kg division.
“It was everything we imagined,” said Bahamas Judo Federation (BJF) president D’Arcy Rahming.
“The people have been wonderful, the visitor as well as us, who are hosting this event. We were so blessed to host the IAAF World Relays. This is on the magnitude of that. I hope to do a yearly event like this because this sport model is something that we can continue to develop.”
Bahamas coach, D’Arcy Rahming Jr. said that competing against the best junior athletes in the world can only help local athletes with their development.
“We know we are on the right track,” he said.
“In order for these guys to win at the next level, we have to keep them solely focused on Judo. We have been training very hard, and what’s special about these guys is that they are the best that we have ever trained. Despite a medal count, his same team will now carry us into 2020 and 2024.”
