Friendship can sometimes be a handicap if you are a top-class judoka.

By Mark Etheridge Judoka Zack Piontek and Siyabulela Mabulu will not only be looking to win more medals at a global event but also try and improve their chances of getting to the 2016 Rio Olympics at next week's World Judo Championships.

By Mark Etheridge It was girl power all the way to gold for South African judoka at the African Junior Judo Championships in Egypt.

South African Commonwealth judo champion, Zack Piontek, has boosted his chances to compete at next year’s Olympic Games in Rio by finishing fifth in a Grand Slam Tournament in Tyumen, Russia.

Not only does 19-year-old judoka Geronay Whitebooi aspire to become the best female judoka in South Africa, she also wants to use her sport to improve her family’s standard of living.

By Mark Etheridge Commonwealth Games judo gold medallist Zack Piontek fought his way to a silver medal at the African Championships in Libreville, Gabon at the weekend.

By Mark Etheridge London Olympics judoka Jacques van Zyl has grabbed some more Rio Olympics ranking points after competing in Germany late last month.

By Mark Etheridge South African judo's leading ladies were in action at the recent trials and rankings tournament in Stellenbosch, writes Mark Etheridge.

By Mark Etheridge It was another occasion of the most intense grappling, groaning and grunting as the country's top judoka were in action at the recent national trials and ranking competition in Stellenbosch.

By Mark Etheridge The Rio Olympics may be more than 18 months away but South Africa's judoka are already getting to grips with the long qualifying road to Brazil.