Visser to train in Netherlands judo in N.Z.

Visser to train in Netherlands

Koen Visser. Times photo Scott Yeoman.

Up-and-coming judo star Koen Visser has had a year to remember.
The 17-year-old New Zealand representative, who has just finished Year 13 at Macleans College, has had 17 top-three finishes this year and was also awarded his black belt at the New Zealand Judo Championships in October.
He is in the cadet (under 18) age group and the under 73kg weight division but often competes in the divisions above.
Among his 2016 triumphs were gold and bronze medals at the Oceania Championships held in Canberra and a gold and bronze at the New Zealand Judo Championships in Auckland.
He was also named Senior Sportsman of the Year at Macleans College, where he was a house captain and school prefect.
Visser, who lives in Bucklands Beach, is now heading to the Netherlands, where he was born, to further his judo career. He hopes to be there for six or seven years and leaves on December 29.
He moved to New Zealand from the town of Groningen aged seven and will now return there to stay with his grandmother and train full-time.
“Judo is a really big sport in the Netherlands, so there’s a lot of training partners. In New Zealand, judo is only a minor sport,” Visser told the Times recently.
He said if New Zealand judo athletes want to go further in the sport, they often have to go to places overseas where they can get the exposure and training needed.
“In the Netherlands, I will get a lot more experience,” he said.
Visser said he is looking forward to the extra training opportunities.
“Here I would go to training camps and maybe get 100 people if I’m really lucky. There, I’d go to training camps with 800 people at least.”
Visser spent his summer holidays last year in Groningen, training for two and a half months to prepare him for 2016. It clearly worked.
He will be returning to the same judo club and coach in Groningen in the New Year and will be representing New Zealand at European Judo Cup events.
The first one is in May in Portugal.
Visser said the highlight of 2016 was being awarded his black belt at the New Zealand Judo Championships in October.
He’s come a long way since starting the sport eight years ago.
He now trains most days of the week at Howick Judo Club and on Saturdays he has an Auckland squad training on the North Shore.
This year was an important one for Visser’s judo career.
“This is my last year of cadets, so I wanted to try get the best results possible because...I’m moving up to the next category next year. So this year, I hoped to win a lot of medals, which I did.”
He said it was “always a dream” to have a year like this one.
“I always wanted to do it, but seeing some of the results this year has helped me drive myself further.”
Visser said his big goal is to eventually go to the Olympics and represent New Zealand.
“I really want to go. The 2020 [Olympics] would be nice but age-wise, it would be harder to achieve. The 2022 Commonwealth Games first would probably be a better option but I could always hope and try my best.”
His road to the Commonwealth Games and Olympics will start in the Netherlands next year.
“It’s probably going to be training and sleeping. There’s going to be a lot of training,” Visser said.
He said he will be keeping in contact with Judo New Zealand and he hopes to represent New Zealand at various events every year.
His coach from the very beginning at Howick Judo Club,  Lawrie Crooke, will continue to keep a close eye on Visser’s progress.
Crooke said he is “totally proud” of his achievements.
“It’s the most rewarding thing for anybody when they start with this little boy and they grow up to a fine man like he is. He’s going to represent New Zealand, trust me – he will go to the Games with his attitude.”
Crooke said Visser is going overseas to improve himself and “that’s what he’s got to do”.
Visser’s mum Mirjam agrees.
“I’m going to miss him but he has to go and he has a big dream. He needs to go for that dream – that’s what he needs to do and what he wants to do.”
Over the Xmas period Visser has been training at the world famous Auckland Uni judo club in Epsom who have being hosting two Swedish champions who have being training in Japan .