Tahiti, October 4, 2026 - The Polynesian Judo Federation hosted a new edition of the Tahiti Cup at the AS Aorai sports complex. Over 350 judokas — participants in the martial art of judo — from different clubs took part in the competition, aiming to climb the rankings in the EJ Shiseikan, a system used to track athletes' performance. The event took place over the weekend in the hall of the AS Aorai in Pirae, with competitors ranging in age from 4 to 15 years. Ten associations linked to the Polynesian Judo Federation (FPJ) participated, including Venus, Manu Ura, Budokan Pirae, Dojo Tahitien, EJJP, Taravao, Punaauia JJ, Tefana, and Rangiroa. Stéphane Gustin, president of the FPJ, said that while the focus is on preparing for the upcoming Games in Tahiti, the federation remains committed to offering opportunities for judokas of all ages. "We bring together all age groups among our members over two days to give our judokas as many chances to compete as possible," he said. He added that half of the team for the Games has already been selected, with the final list expected to be decided by March. The competition began on Saturday morning with the poussins, benjamins, and minimes — age groups in judo — divided into several weight categories ranging from under 34 to over 64 kilograms. The youngest athletes (mini-poussins and éveil) competed on Sunday. A training session was also held as part of the preparation for the Pacific Games, which are scheduled for July 24 to August 7, less than 300 days away. Franck Bellard, the technical advisor of the FPJ, confirmed the progress in selecting athletes and highlighted the importance of upcoming competitions. These include the Air Tahiti Nui challenge in December, selection pools on November 14, an international tournament, and the Polynesian Championships in April 2027. These events will allow athletes to face competitors expected to be in the Games. Future competitions are planned to help judokas prepare for challenges from rivals such as New Caledonia and Australia, which recently performed exceptionally well at the last Oceanian Championships, securing 13 gold medals out of 13 possible titles.