Judo centre recognised as national excellence hub

A university judo centre has been recognised as a national hub of excellence.

The University of Wolverhampton announced it had been awarded Elite Training Centre accreditation by funding agency UK Sport, placing it "among only three higher education institutions in the UK".

This recognises the judo facility at the Walsall Campus as an excellence hub, following an 18‑month assessment process.

The university said to earn accreditation, centres must provide elite-level "facilities, equipment, staff and organisational culture", along with other requirements.

The 18‑month process included self-evaluation and "an in‑depth peer review".

The network of centres "plays a vital role in the UK's high performance system", creating environments that bring people and facilities together to "support sustained Olympic and Paralympic success", the university said.

It added centres were assessed against UK Sport principles including diversity and inclusion, facilities and equipment, access, people development and science and medicine.

University associate professor of sport and exercise Ross Cloak stated the recognition reflected the dedication, expertise and ambition of people involved in the Judo Centre and its "wider high‑performance sport community".

The accreditation was a major milestone for the university and testament to years of hard work, he added.

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