Azerbaijan’s leading judoka have climbed sharply up the International Judo Federation world rankings after an outstanding showing at the Tashkent Grand Slam, İdman.Biz reports.
The IJF released its updated standings following the event in Uzbekistan, where Azerbaijan claimed four gold medals, one silver and two bronze to underline their growing strength on the international circuit. The gold medallists were Ahmed Yusifov (60kg), Omar Rajabli (81kg), Murad Fatiyev (90kg) and Kanan Nasibov (+100kg). Balabay Aghayev (60kg) secured silver, while Olympic champion Zelim Kotsoiev (100kg) and Jamal Gamzatkhanov (+100kg) collected bronze.
Yusifov, one of the standout performers in Tashkent, rose eight places to eighth in the world with 3,305 ranking points. Aghayev, beaten by his compatriot in the final, moved from fourth to second with 4,365 points and now trails Brazilian leader Michel Augusto by just seven.
Rajabli made one of the biggest leaps of the update, climbing 17 places to 15th at 81kg. Fellow Azerbaijani Zelim Tckaev remains the nation’s highest-ranked athlete in that division, holding sixth place.
At 90kg, Fatiyev’s victory over double Olympic champion Lasha Bekauri in the final propelled him up ten places to sixth in the world. In the same category, Eljan Hajiyev, who did not compete in Tashkent, slipped from third to fourth.
In the heavyweight division, the rapid rise of Kanan Nasibov continues. The young +100kg contender jumped 11 positions to ninth following his gold medal performance. Ushangi Kokauri remains seventh but faces increasing internal competition, with Nasibov closing fast. Gamzatkhanov’s bronze saw him climb to 21st, while Kotsoiev retained second place at 100kg, 112 points behind Japan’s Dota Arai.
Elsewhere, Olympic champion Hidayat Heydarov (73kg), who was unable to compete in Tashkent after failing to make weight, still edged up from eighth to seventh as a result of movements among his rivals.
The reshuffle confirms Azerbaijan’s growing influence in global judo, with several athletes now firmly established among the world’s elite ahead of a crucial stretch in the Olympic cycle.
Teymur Tushiyev
