Daniel Pacitti Earns Commonwealth Call-Up After Injury Setback
Daniel Pacitti has completed a remarkable comeback from a serious ACL injury to secure selection for Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The 29-year-old judoka says receiving the call-up marks the highest point of his career so far after years of rehabilitation and rebuilding.
Pacitti has been named among the 13-strong Team Scotland judo squad for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. An ACL injury before the COVID-19 pandemic forced him out of competition for two years, but he has come back stronger than ever.
The 29-year-old from Edinburgh said the moment he found out represented a career high. “Everyone has had the same focus of trying to qualify for these Games and I’ve been 50-50 about whether I was going to get the call-up,” said Pacitti, who competes in the -73kg category.
“Two weeks ago, I got my most recent medal, which was a bit of a relief because it kind of solidified my place. Hearing the confirmation on the phone was probably the highest point in my career and hopefully in a few weeks’ time I can top it with a medal at the Commonwealth Games.”
Pacitti made the podium at the 2026 African Open in Algiers at the end of May. Winning that medal was a testament to the Scot’s hard work, after multiple serious injuries and many hours rehabbing in the gym over the last few years. Rebuilding his confidence has been just as challenging as the physical setbacks.
“I had an ACL injury right before COVID, so I was off the mat for two and a half years,” said Pacitti. “Trying to believe you can get back to being as good or better than you were is a mental challenge as well as a physical one. I've always had the belief that I could come back stronger and the Sport Scotland staff helped me with surgery and physio, and kept me accountable.”
At 29 years old, Pacitti is one of the most experienced athletes on the Scottish judo team. He is fully immersed in the sport, having started at the age of six, and now assists young judoka in his downtime. “Outside of my competitive career, I work as a judo coach so I spend most of my time on the mats,” he said.
“I know it seems like it's a lot of focus on the same thing, but to me it's quite different - I get to relax, have a different perspective on judo, and help the younger judoka come through.”
The sport has taught Pacitti plenty of important life lessons and transferable skills, which he hopes to pass on to the younger generation in his coaching. “The biggest thing is hard work, discipline, and consistency,” Pacitti said. “The people that turn up every day and put in the hard work behind the scenes are the ones who get the results at the end of the day.
“There have been a lot of difficult times in my career, and probably in every judo player's career. It's not all highs, it's a lot of lows as well. But coming through those and coming out the other side stands you in good stead for working life and all the things that you have to deal with outside of the mat.”
Follow Team Scotland's journey at Glasgow 2026 at @team_scotland on Instagram.
