Azerbaijan’s national judo team has enjoyed an impressive start to the 2026 season, collecting a total of 16 medals across the opening four stages of the IJF World Tour, according to Idman.Biz.
Competing at Grand Slam events in Paris, Tashkent and Tbilisi, as well as the Grand Prix in Linz, Azerbaijani judokas secured six gold, four silver and six bronze medals. The results place the team third in the overall standings, behind only Japan and France, and underline their growing strength ahead of the World Championships, which will be hosted in Baku later this year.
Several athletes have stood out in the early months of the season. Ruslan Pashayev claimed bronze in Paris before winning gold in Austria, moving up to fifth in the world rankings. Balabay Aghayev also impressed in the 60 kg category, winning gold in Paris and silver in Tashkent to rise to third in the rankings.
Strong internal competition is evident in the 81 kg division, where multiple Azerbaijani judokas have reached the podium, including Omar Rajabli, Vusal Galandarzade and Zelim Tckaev. Meanwhile, Murad Fatiyev delivered one of the standout performances by defeating two-time Olympic champion Lasha Bekauri in the Tashkent final, signalling his ambitions for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle.
Elsewhere, heavyweight Kenan Nasibov continued his progress with a victory in Tashkent, while Olympic champions such as Zelim Kotsoyev and Hidayat Heydarov are gradually building form as they target peak condition for the home World Championships.
With consistent results across multiple weight categories and increasing depth in the squad, Azerbaijan appear well positioned to challenge the traditional powerhouses of the sport in the months ahead.
