Northern Ireland Judo Open is back at the Foyle Arena

The tournament, which has a new sponsor for 2025 in the form of SmartPayNI, will see hundreds of judoka descend on the Waterside venue. Excitement is building for the Open already and Steve Setterfield, Area Leisure Manager for Derry City and Strabane District Council, said they were delighted to again host the prestigious event. “The team at the Foyle Arena are delighted to welcome the SmartPayNI Northern Ireland Open back in April 2025,” he said. “The event has been a resounding success since the centre opened back in 2015 and it now forms an important part of our events calendar. “We would like to wish all the competitors the very best of luck. We’ll see you next month!” Russell Brown, Chairman for Northern Ireland Judo, added: “There’s always a buzz around the Open, the fact that competitors are looking to qualify for further events, the homegrown talent testing their mettle against those across the water and the high level of competition always draws excitement. “It’s fantastic to welcome SmartPayNI to the team this year, and we’d like to thank them for their input and support for the event.”

SmartPayNI deliver payment solutions to businesses and have added the capability to pay by card for those attending this year’s tournament. Marc McLaughlin, Sales Director from SmartPayNI said: “SmartPayNI are proud to be sponsoring partners of the Northern Ireland Judo Open – we are always keen on supporting the growth of local sport.” The SmartPayNI Open is ready for entries, and you can find out more about the event at https://www.nijudo.com/events/calendar To learn more about services at the Foyle Arena visit derrystrabaneleisure.com/foyle-arena email [email protected] or call 028 71 376555 and to find your nearest Judo club, log on to www.nijudo.com