Historic day for Gibraltar judo as it debuts at Commonwealth Games

It had been a long wait for Gibraltar Judo as the team finally stepped onto the mats at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games on Saturday.
Making their debut at the Games were Adam Paul Stevens and Bradley Morris-McKenzie.
Competing in the men's under-81kg category, Adam Stevens faced Samoa's Peniamina Percival in his opening contest. Bradley Morris-McKenzie, competing in the men's under-90kg category, faced one of the toughest possible opening bouts as he came up against reigning Commonwealth champion Jamal Petgrave of England.
The pair were supported by head coach Peter Conroy and assistant coach Liam Conroy. The Gibraltar judo team's presence was celebrated not only in Gibraltar but also by members of the British Army, with social media posts highlighting the involvement of three members with direct links to the Royal Gibraltar Regiment and the British Army Judo Team. Liam Conroy and Bradley Morris-McKenzie are both currently serving in the Army, while Peter Conroy, who was recently awarded the Gibraltar Award in the King's Birthday Honours, is a former Royal Gibraltar Regiment soldier.
Adam Stevens' Commonwealth Games judo debut came to an end in the round of 16 after he was defeated by Samoa's Peniamina Percival. Percival secured victory by yuko after 3:59, scoring three yuko during the contest despite receiving two non-combativity penalties. The Samoan progressed to the quarter-finals, while Stevens finished the competition in joint ninth place.
Bradley Morris-McKenzie also exited in the round of 16 after being defeated by England's Jamal Petgrave. Petgrave secured victory by ippon in just 36 seconds, first scoring a waza-ari with a seoi-nage before completing the contest with a kuzure-kami-shiho-gatame hold-down. The English judoka progressed to the quarter-finals, while Morris-McKenzie also finished the competition in joint ninth place.
Petgrave would go on to claim the bronze medal in the men's under-90kg category, while Percival finished seventh overall in the men's under-81kg competition.
Following what was ultimately a brief but memorable Commonwealth Games debut after a week-long wait to take to the mats, assistant coach Liam Conroy took to social media to describe the occasion as a "landmark day" for the sport in Gibraltar.
"Today will forever be remembered as a landmark day for the Gibraltar Judo Association.
"For the first time in history, Gibraltar was represented in judo at the Commonwealth Games. Simply reaching this stage is a testament to the dedication, sacrifice and hard work of everyone involved in our team."
He added that although the results were not what they had hoped for, both athletes had represented Gibraltar with "pride, courage and honour", describing the occasion as "the beginning of our journey."
"Today wasn't just about results, it was about making history, inspiring the next generation, and laying the foundations for the future of Gibraltar judo."

Images courtesy Liam Conroy/Gibraltar Judo