Britain's leading blind judo players will thus have the opportunity of an ideal warm-up just 15 months before the London 2012 Paralympics.

The 2011 Championships – supported by UK Sport - will take place from June 15-19 at the K2 Crawley venue.

The IBSA committee cited Britain's ability to host such an event, and the strong link to London 2012 will undoubtedly appeal to Europe's finest judoka.

Esther Nicholls, event consultant for UK Sport, said: "We are committed to bringing world class sporting events to the UK ahead of 2012, in what we believe is the most comprehensive pre-Games events programme ever staged by an Olympic and Paralympic host nation.

"The IBSA European Judo Championships will provide an invaluable opportunity for British players to experience international competition on home soil just before the 2012 Paralympic Games.

"The event also provides us with the opportunity to hone the skills of key officials and to train volunteers, which is vital for building capacity within the sport to host events in the future."

British Judo events manager Emma Taylor said: "This event will be new for us.

"We have never run such a prestigious VI event before and we are excited to be involved and showcase the top VI judoka ahead of 2012.

"It is a fantastic opportunity for the BJA Events Team to host a new event for 2011 and we are currently at the early stages of marketing the event to the judo nations."

In 2009, the British team picked up its best results at the Europeans ever, winning four medals.

The British squad will be out in force again, this time on home soil, vying for medals in their respective weight categories.

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