Unexpected Victories and Emerging Talent at Dushanbe Grand Slam

The Judo world circuit has resumed with the Grand Slam in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, showcasing both seasoned champions and rising stars. The first day of competition delivered several unexpected results and highlighted the global diversity of talent in the sport.

Women’s Divisions: Established Stars and New Contenders

In the women’s divisions, the -52kg and -57kg categories saw a mix of familiar faces and fresh talent on the podium. Buchard and Cysique, both decorated Olympians with four medals each and victors in the mixed team events at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, continued their dominance. Buchard triumphed over Uzbek judoka Mukhayo Akhmatova, while Cysique defeated Russian competitor Natalia elkina.

The bronze medals in the -52kg category were awarded to Blandine Pont and Madina Qurbonzoda from Tajikistan. In the -57kg division, Yuying Tao of China and Ana Viktorija Puljiz of Croatia secured the third-place finishes.

“The level of competition is incredibly high, with athletes from all corners of the globe pushing the boundaries of Judo.”

Men’s Divisions: Youngsters Make Their Mark

The men’s divisions witnessed the emergence of young talent, particularly in the lighter weight classes.The -48kg category saw an remarkable victory by 18-year-old Jamsran from Mongolia. Jamsran, who was a world cadet runner-up in lima the previous year, defeated Wenna Zhuang of China to claim gold. Balabay Aghayev from Azerbaijan secured the gold in -60kg, triumphing over Tayiko Mehrzod Sufiev. Local favorite Nurali Emomali won gold in his match against fellow countryman Obid Dzhebov.

Waka Inakagi of Japan and Abiba Abuzhakynova of kazakhstan, a medalist at the Taskent 2022 and Abu Dhabi 2024 world Cups, took the bronze medals in the -48kg category.Maxime Merlin of France and Ariunbold Enkhtaivan of Mongolia completed the -60kg podium, while Artyom Shurbabin of Uzbekistan and yosin Bobokalonov, representing the host nation, finished third in the -66kg division.

Absence of latin American and Caribbean Judokas

Notably, athletes from Latin America and the Caribbean were absent from this Grand Slam event. This absence underscores the challenges some nations face in affording international travel and competition for their athletes, highlighting the disparities in resources within the global Judo community. According to the International Judo Federation (IJF), efforts are continuously being made to support the participation of athletes from developing nations through various scholarship and funding programs.

Looking Ahead: Day Two of Competition

The Grand Slam in Dushanbe continues tomorrow with the -63kg and -70kg women’s divisions and the -73kg and -81kg men’s divisions. judo enthusiasts worldwide eagerly anticipate more thrilling matches and unexpected outcomes as the tournament progresses.