Judo star throws down a marker for 2025

Platinum athlete update: Anya Hassan's on a roll as judo star stuffs trophy cabinet

2 Apr 2025 • 1 min read

Anya Hassan (bottom) wows the crowds in Wolverhampton

Sport Newcastle Platinum trailblazer Anya Hassan continues to floor the opposition across Europe following a fabulous start to 2025.

The judo star heads into the summer ranked as Great Britain’s number one junior athlete.

And Anya is just one place away from hitting top spot in the senior rankings following a flurry of success at major tournaments.

An incredible three months saw the ambitious martial artist bag junior gold at the Scottish Open Championships in January before adding a senior silver medal to her haul.

Belgium’s prestigious Women’s International brough further success as Anya made the junior podium and finished fifth in the senior competition.

It was top five again at the Junior European Cup in Sarajevo before a hotly anticipated return home and double gold in the British Open Championship.

Bronze in the Portuguese leg of the Junior European Cup competition kept the pot boiling and last month saw Anya bag BUCS silver in a competitive British Universities’ field.

“Platinum grants are awarded to the very best that North East sport has to offer and Anya has shown time and time again that she deserves our continued support,” said Chris Waugh of Sport Newcastle’s Awards Committee.

“We can’t wait to see where 2025 takes her.”

April