Whanganui judo star Keightley Watson will be flying nearly non-stop around the world between now and the New Year, starting out with departing New Zealand on Wednesday for the Hong Kong Asian Cup.
Watson will compete in the Over 90kg weight division on Saturday in Hong Kong, followed by the Junior Men's competition (18-21 year olds) in the plus 100kg grade on Sunday.
The 17-year-old judoka will then travel to mainland China for a three day training camp in Macau, which is followed by competing in the Macau Asian Cup, again entering both Cadet and Junior Men's divisions over two days.
Father Ross Watson said both these Asian tournaments are on the International Judo Federation (IJF) calendar with, world ranking points up for grabs, which are important for seedings at further tournaments.
"There are 23 nations competing in Hong Kong and 24 nations in Macau, with New Zealand sending a mixed team of eight judokas fighting in a mix of cadets and juniors."