Judo athletes medal at the 2025 BUCS Championships

University of Nottingham sport scholar and Youth Olympic Champion Amy Platten delivered the standout individual performance of the weekend by securing a gold medal in the -52kg category - competing a weight class up from her usual -48kg. As well as this, Jasmine Abdullaeva - University of Nottingham Judo Club President - fought hard to claim bronze in the -57kg category, overcoming tough opposition along the way. Meanwhile, Esmeé Holgate, also a University of Nottingham Sport Scholar and the current Junior National Champion, added another bronze medal to the overall university tally in the -70kg category.

All three of these Judoka would also combine to win silver in the Women's team competition. The team fought through a challenging pool, securing wins over Bath (B), Liverpool, Northumbria, and Edinburgh to advance to the final. Going up against a strong Bath (A) team, they put up an incredible fight but ultimately took home a well-earned second place. What made this win even more impressive was the fact that Amy and Jasmine were competing 3 weight classes above their usual weight categories, making every match an immense battle. 

In the men's team competition, consisting of Noah Jones (-66kg), Matthew McArthur (-73kg), Dylan Kirk (-73kg), and William Leeder (-81kg), fought extremely well despite only have a 4 person team and missing a +90kg player. Despite the tough competition, they put in strong performances the group narrowly missed out on a medal this time around, having won silver last year. 

There was also success for the University of Nottingham in the Kyu Grade and Novice Grade individual competitions. Maria Luisa Cardoso Ferreira beat the field to win gold in the Kyu Grade -53kg category, whilst Jessica Lewis and Enhao Yang won silver in the Kyu Grade -78kg and -60kg categories respectively. In the Novice Grade, Daniel Bruton bested his competitors to win -66kg gold, and Vladimir Melnikov won bronze in the -73kg category.

For our Dan Grade competitors - following their incredible performances at the BUCS Championships - Amy Platten, Jasmine Abdullaeva, and Esmeé Holgate have all qualified to represent the University of Nottingham at the EUSA European University Judo Championships in Warsaw, Poland. This will take place in August 2025, and competing on the European stage is a huge achievement. All three will be looking to carry their momentum forward as they take on some of the best university judoka from across the continent.

Reflecting on the performances of our athletes, University of Nottingham Judo Head Coach, Ryan Wilkinson, said: "I’m really proud of how the team performed at this year’s BUCS Championships - an achievement that reflects the hard work and dedication they’ve put in since we began training together in September. The men’s squad delivered strong performances and showed great potential, while the women’s team excelled, securing three individual medals and a fantastic silver in the team event—a brilliant accomplishment. A huge thank you to the University of Nottingham for their support and to all the athletes for their commitment. This is just the beginning, and I’m excited to see how much more we can achieve together!"

Notes for editors

University of Nottingham are the top UK University for team sport, placing 2nd in the overall British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) rankings in the 2023/24 season. For more information on our performance sport offer, including scholarships and support for student athletes, please click here.