The British Judo World Class Performance Programme (WCPP) will work alongside the Home countries in a bid to ensure that players moving through the pathway are developed in key "trademarks" and provided with the opportunity to train in Japan as part of a GB Cadet Futures squad.

"The GB Cadet strategy represents a big shift in focus for the cadet age group and the sport as a whole," said James Thomas, British Judo’s performance pathway senior manager.

"The British Judo World Class Performance Programme has made a significant investment into researching the world’s best players and profiling their background to ensure that our approach to developing players for the future has a strong evidence base.

"In agreement with the home nations, the key focus for the pre-cadet and cadet age groups will be the development of their technical foundations across two of the five British Judo 'trademarks': Throw for Ippon and Win in Newaza.

"This shifts the focus from winning medals in competition to technical development."

The GB Cadets Futures programme is due to be launched this year, recognising cadet players who demonstrate the identified "trademarks" in competition alongside excellent performance behaviours within their home nation cadet programmes.

Identified players will be invited to attend a 10-day training camp during October in Japan as part of a GB Cadet Futures squad, paid for in full by the British Judo WCPP.

The training camp is intended to expose talented British players to what is claimed to be one of the most fantastic judo environments in the world and inspire them to take the next step in their judo career.

In addition to this, two to three club or area coaches who support their home nation programmes by advocating the development of the trademarks will be invited to join the GB Cadet Futures squad in Japan.

There will also be shadowing opportunities at the British Judo Centre of Excellence for those coaches who have aspirations of being future performance coaches.

"What this new GB Cadet strategy means is that instead of the cadet programme culminating in the European Cadet Championships in July, which we know has very little correlation to Olympic success, there is now a development programme that spans the full year," added Thomas.

"The ECC will now be funded by home nation programmes as a beneficial competition experience as part of a players development, but it should not be the focal point for cadet players, coaches and their parents."

The GB Cadet strategy can be accessed by clicking here.