Judoka Jono Drane to miss World Games with knee injury

The GB team will be hoping for success in Korea

British Paralympic judoka hopeful Jono Drane has been ruled out of action for nine months with a serious knee injury.

The 27-year-old from Norwich, who is one of BBC Sport's Paralympic Ones to Watch for 2015, has torn his anterior cruciate ligament.

He will miss this week's International Blind Sports Federation World Games in Korea, where a four-strong judo squad will compete for Great Britain.

"Managing the emotions that come with injuries is vital," said Drane.

Last year's World Championship bronze medallist started the sport as a teenager but, aged 22, he discovered his eyesight was deteriorating as a result of corneal dystrophy and was persuaded to try visually-impaired judo.

But he remains hopeful of being part of the GB team for next year's Paralympics in Rio.

"My intentions remain the same as when I first started this journey - to do everything in my power to shape my best performance to Rio 2016," he added. "The rest is just uncontrollable."

In Drane's absence, GB medal hopes in the judo event rest with London 2012 silver medallist Sam Ingram (-90kg), with Chris Skelley (-100kg), Jack Hodgson (+100kg) and Natalie Greenhough (-70kg) all hoping to get qualification points for the Rio Paralympics.

GB also has representation in Korea in the women's goalball and men's football events.