The Judo World Championship held in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, has come to an end.
The Azerbaijani national team concluded the tournament with three bronze medals, a performance marked by several noteworthy moments, Idman.biz reports.
Winning three medals ranks as Azerbaijan’s second-best result in terms of medal count at a World Championship. The best performance came in 2017, also in Budapest, when the team earned two silver and two bronze medals, totaling four.
All three medals this year were won by male athletes, matching the record for most medals won by men in a single championship. Back in 2017, the three medals were also secured by men – Rustam Orujov, Orkhan Safarov, and Elmar Gasimov.
This time, Zelim Tckaev (81 kg) and Eljan Hajiyev (90 kg) stepped onto the podium for the first time in their careers, bringing the total number of Azerbaijani judokas to win World Championship medals to 20.
Azerbaijan also returned to the podium in the 81 kg category after 24 years. The last medal in this weight class was a bronze by Elkhan Rajabli at the 2001 World Championship in Munich, Germany. Tckaev’s bronze is Azerbaijan’s second ever in this category.
The national team also made a return to the podium in the 90 kg category after 15 years. The last medal in this weight class was won in 2010, also in Munich, by Elkhan Mammadov, who secured a bronze.
Zelym Kotsoiev has now climbed the World Championship podium for the fourth consecutive time. He previously took bronze in 2022 (Tashkent) and 2023 (Doha), and claimed gold in 2024 (Abu Dhabi) in the 100 kg category. He now matches his teammate Hidayat Heydarov in both the number and type of World Championship medals. Heydarov’s collection includes one gold (2024, Abu Dhabi) and three bronzes (2018 - Baku, 2019 - Tokyo, 2022 - Tashkent).
Among men, Olympic champions competed in five of the seven weight classes (excluding 60 kg and +100 kg). None managed to win gold. Only Hifumi Abe (Japan, 66 kg) and Zelym Kotsoiev (100 kg) earned bronze. Two-time Olympic champion Takanori Nagase (Japan, 81 kg) was eliminated in the first round, and two-time Olympic champion Lasha Bekauri (Georgia, 90 kg) lost in the second round, leaving both without medals.
Among women, only two reigning Olympic champions participated. Beatriz Souza (Brazil, +78 kg) lost in her second bout and failed to medal. The only Olympic champion to win gold was Alice Bellandi (Italy, 78 kg).
Overall, the championship featured extremely competitive matches. In 10 of the 14 weight classes, new world champions were crowned, five men and five women.
Some of our athletes lost matches where they were leading on points, indicating areas where our judokas still lag and need focused improvement. For example:
Ahmed Yusifov (60 kg) lost in the round of 16 to Ryujyu Nagayama (Japan), the Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medalist.
Eljan Hajiyev (90 kg) lost in the semifinal to Goki Tajima (Japan).
Vugar Talibov (90 kg) was defeated in the round of 32 by Luka Maisuradze (Georgia).
Ushangi Kokauri (+100 kg) lost the bronze medal match to Temur Rakhimov (Uzbekistan).
Interestingly, Ryujyu Nagayama, who defeated Yusifov, and Takashi Takeoka (Japan), who beat Ruslan Pashayev (66 kg) in the round of 16, both went on to become world champions.
In addition to the three bronze medals, the Azerbaijani team also earned a fifth-place finish (Ushangi Kokauri) and a seventh-place finish (Rashid Mammadaliyev) — commendable results as well.
The team also includes young judokas, indicating a phase of rebuilding and renewal. The main goal now is to perform well at the next World Championship, which will be held in Baku next year. This championship also marked the first of the new Olympic cycle, and the three bronze medals offer hope and promise for the future.
Huseyn Vagif
Idman.biz
