Olympians are returning for a new cycle, and the Grand Slam Judo Tournament in Abu Dhabi served as a great stage for their comebacks. The Azerbaijan team delivered an outstanding performance, securing one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals. Many past Olympians and top-ranked athletes began their new season here, opening their medal accounts in the UAE.
As reported by Idman.biz, some athletes who couldn’t shine in Paris competed in the capital of the last World Championship. Among them was Zelim Tckaev (81 kg), who achieved a brilliant result by winning gold in Abu Dhabi. Notably, his main rivals were Georgian athletes: Tckaev defeated Dimitri Gochilaidze in the semifinals and Zaur Dvalashvili in the final. The International Judo Federation (IJF) aptly titled its report on his victory: "He’s Back!"
Indeed, if you look at Tckaev’s recent performances, his breakthrough came at the end of last year and early this year, winning two Grand Slam tournaments in Baku and placing in the top three in a similar tournament in Tokyo. While he struggled in the World and European Championships and the Olympics, he has now triumphantly returned to the podium.
In the other part of the draw, it was Ushangi Kokaruri (AZE) who passed the rounds without flinching, after victories against Esleken Kedo (PHI), Igor Vracar (SRB) and Jelle Snippe (NED) in the semi-final. In the final, it was Valerii Endovitskii and Ushangi Kokaruri who faced each other. Despite the weight difference it is Endovitskii who took the advantage with a first waza-ari and a conclusion on the ground for ippon. Gold medal goes to Valerii Endovitskii.
Murad Fatiyev (90 kg), competing against Eljan Hajiyev for an Olympic spot, began the new season with a bronze medal. His opponents included notable athletes like Giovanni Ferreira from Brazil and Jesper Smink from the Netherlands. While Fatiyev lost to the Dutch athlete in the semifinals, he made the most of his small final opportunity against Hungarian Peter Safrani.
However, the bronze medal of Acelya Toprak (57 kg) holds particular significance. This is her first medal representing Azerbaijan. Toprak made her debut at the Grand Slam in Tokyo late last year and has since competed in nine tournaments before finally standing on the World Tour podium. In the bronze medal match, Toprak defeated Flaka Loxha from Kosovo, earning 500 ranking points. It's a fantastic start for the new Olympic cycle!
As a team, Azerbaijan finished in 5th place overall, with a fierce battle between the Netherlands and France for the top spot. Both nations won 2 gold and 3 silver medals, but the Dutch team pulled ahead with 3 bronze medals compared to France's 2. Interestingly, only five countries won gold medals in Abu Dhabi, making Azerbaijan's performance appear quite strong.
Also present in Abu Dhabi was Hidayat Heydarov, the Olympic, World, and European champion. He even tried his hand as a photojournalist and noted that after digesting this intense season, he will definitely return to the tatami.
One day after the Grand Slam concluded, the International Judo Federation announced that the 2026 World Championship would be held in Baku. There's something symbolic about this, as Baku will once again be the host, just as it was in the 2018 World Championships, with the venue remaining the National Gymnastics Arena.
Zeki Feyzullayev
Idman.biz
