Judo club celebrates golds at Commonwealth Games

Five members of Camberley Judo Club have won medals – including two golds – at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Acelya Toprak, 28, won gold for England in the women’s -57kg class, after being a silver medallist four years ago.

Sydnee Andrews, 23, who is from New Zealand but lives in Surrey, made history by becoming the first New Zealand woman to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal in judo, winning the women’s +78kg class.

The other three medallists from the club were Joshua Green, who won bronze in the men’s -73kg for Northern Ireland, Summer Shaw, who won the bronze for Scotland in the women’s -48kg, and Rachel Hawkes, who won bronze in the women’s -70kg for Northern Ireland.

Toprak and Andrews brought their gold medals into the Radio Surrey studio.

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The gold medallists brought their “shields” to the Radio Surrey studio [BBC/Zac Sherratt]

Toprak said: “They are quite hefty medals, in a bit of a shield shape.

“A Commonwealth medal is amazing, both ways, but to lose in the final, you have to get on the podium after a loss, which isn’t really where you want to be.

“But this time to be able to get on to the podium after just winning my final was unreal – the atmosphere was electric in the room. It was crazy.”

She said four years of hard work and a change of club had “showed on the mat” this year.

“I’ve been based at Camberley Judo Club – I just think my all-round prep, training and happiness in the sport was just 10 times better this time round,” she said.

“We’ve always had a strong team at Camberley – we’ve had many Commonwealth Games medals before. I think it’s the family environment where our whole club is so behind us, everyone’s there for each other.”

Andrews said: “I guess I’m a big part of the Camberley Judo Club, I’ve been there for four years now.

“I’m New Zealand, but I’m Camberley as well.”

Luke Preston, head coach at Camberley Judo Club and Team England Judo, said he was “really proud” of the club’s medallists.

He credited the club’s success with being “a bit of a throwback club where everybody trains together”.

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