The Paris Grand Slam in judo has officially begun yesterday.
Idman.biz reports that six athletes from the Azerbaijani national team competed on the first day of the tournament.
60 kg Category
Ahmad Yusifov faced Kenta Sekimoto (Japan) in the round of 16 but was eliminated after a tough match.
Huseyn Allahyarov took on Bakhrom Boturov (Uzbekistan) in his opening bout, but his journey ended with a loss.
66 kg Category
Ruslan Pashayev started strong, defeating Channyeong Kim (South Korea) and Murad Chopanov (IJF) to advance to the semifinals. He then overcame Walide Khyar (France) to reach the final, where he faced another French judoka, Daikii Bouba. Pashayev emerged victorious, securing the Grand Slam champion title.
Rashid Yelkiyev was set to compete against Jusuf Nurkovic (Montenegro), but his opponent withdrew, allowing him to advance. In the round of 16, Yelkiyev defeated Kherlen Ganboldyn (Mongolia) but fell to Vaja Margvelashvili (Georgia) in the quarterfinals.
In the repechage round, Yelkiyev defeated Taikoh Fujisaka (Japan) and later faced Walide Khyar (France) for the bronze medal. However, the French judoka secured the victory, leaving Yelkiyev just outside the podium.
73 kg Category
Rashid Mammadaliyev eliminated Valtteri Olin (Finland) in his first bout and then triumphed over Mikheil Bakhbakhashvili (Georgia) in the round of 16. However, he was defeated by Akil Gjakova (Kosovo) in the quarterfinals.
In the repechage, Mammadaliyev overpowered Orlando Cazorla (France) before taking on Otari Kvantidze (Portugal) for the bronze medal. He emerged victorious, securing a spot on the podium.
Vusal Galandarzade faced Lasha Shavdatuashvili (Georgia) in the round of 32 but was eliminated early in the competition.
Azerbaijan has sent a 10-member squad to the tournament. The Grand Slam will conclude tomorrow with the remaining weight categories in action.
Idman.biz
