Two athletes with ties to UNSW Judo Club in Kensington will represent Australia at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, with Josh Katz and Kayhan Ozcicek-Takagi both selected.
Kensington Judo Pair Named For Glasgow
Josh Katz and Kayhan Ozcicek-Takagi will carry Kensington into Australia’s Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games judo campaign after both were named in the national team.
Katz, who was born and raised in Sydney and has trained at UNSW Judo Club in Kensington, has been selected in the men’s 60kg event. Ozcicek-Takagi, who represents UNSW Judo Club in Kensington, has been named in the men’s over 100kg division.
The Australian judo team was announced on 6 June 2026, with 11 athletes selected across the squad.
For Kensington, the selections connect UNSW Judo Club to two very different competitors: Katz, a Commonwealth Games bronze medallist and two-time Olympian, and Ozcicek-Takagi, an experienced heavyweight with recent international results for Australia.
Katz Adds Another Games Chapter
Katz returns to the Commonwealth Games team with an established record in the sport.
He won bronze at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in the men’s 60kg division and has competed at two Olympic Games, Rio 2016 and Paris 2024. His career also includes multiple Oceania titles, Australian titles and international medals.
Katz’s judo career has also carried a family thread. His mother, Kerrye Katz, was a former judoka, while his father, Robert Katz, was also involved in judo at national level. His older brother, Nathan Katz, competed for Australia in judo at Rio 2016 and has coached him.
At Glasgow 2026, Katz will again compete in the men’s 60kg division, adding further experience to an Australian squad that includes both returning medallists and first-time Commonwealth Games athletes.
Ozcicek-Takagi Builds On Recent Results
Ozcicek-Takagi brings a different profile to the team as Australia’s selection in the men’s over 100kg event.
His recent results include first place at the Oceania Senior Championships in Melbourne on 19 April 2026, second place at the Gold Coast Oceania Open in 2025, first place at the Taipei Asian Open in 2025 and first place at the Mandurah Oceania Open in 2025.
His broader record includes medals at Pan American-Oceania Championships and IJF Grand Prix level. Earlier in his career, he competed for Japan, before representing Australia from 2018.
Ozcicek-Takagi’s selection adds an experienced heavyweight to the Australian team and gives UNSW Judo Club another direct link to the Glasgow squad.
Family Theme Runs Through Australian Team
Birmingham 2022 gold medallist Aoife Coughlan has been selected alongside her sister Maeve Coughlan, while siblings Vas and Saya Middleton will make their Commonwealth Games debuts together.
Tinka Easton, another Birmingham 2022 gold medallist, also returns for Australia. The squad is completed by Pedro Antun Neto, Keishin Ochi, Maria Swan and Danny Vojnikovich.
Judo Set For SEC Centre
The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games will run from 23 July to 2 August.
Judo events are scheduled to take place at the Scottish Event Campus, in the SEC Centre, from Friday 31 July to Sunday 2 August.
Judo has appeared at four previous Commonwealth Games: Auckland 1990, Manchester 2002, Glasgow 2014 and Birmingham 2022.
Australia’s strongest Commonwealth Games judo campaign came at Birmingham 2022, where the team won two gold medals and eight bronze medals.
With Katz and Ozcicek-Takagi selected, Kensington’s connection to the Glasgow 2026 team runs through two athletes at different stages and divisions of Australian judo.
Published 6-July-2026
