Azerbaijani international referee Nazim Umbayev will officiate at the World Judo Championships, which will be held in Baku.
As reported by İdman.Biz, citing the Azerbaijan Judo Federation, Umbayev, a member of the federation's refereeing team, has been selected as one of the officials for the prestigious competition.
Umbayev is an A-category international referee and holds a special place in the history of Azerbaijani judo. He became the first referee from Azerbaijan to officiate at a World Judo Championships.
His debut at the global championships came in 2025, when he was included in the refereeing team for the tournament held in Hungary.
Umbayev will now officiate at the World Championships for the second consecutive year, this time on home soil.
The 2026 World Judo Championships will take place at the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku from October 4 to 11.
