The individual events at the Judo World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, have now concluded, Azernews reports.
The Azerbaijani national team has earned a total of three medals.
Zelim Tckaev (81 kg), Eljan Hajiyev (90 kg), and Zelym Kotsoiev (100 kg) each secured bronze medals. As a result, Azerbaijan finished 14th in the overall medal rankings.
The championships were primarily dominated by athletes from Japan, who claimed six gold, four silver, and four bronze medals.
Judo competitors competing under the International Judo Federation (IJF) banner won three golds and two bronze medals. Italy finished third in the medal table with two gold medals.
On June 20, Azerbaijani judokas will participate in the mixed team event at the World Championships.
Founded in 1972, the Azerbaijan Judo Federation actively promotes this martial art across the country. Since 2015, the Federation has been led by Rovnag Abdullayev.
The country's modern judo history was laid by Mehman Azizov, who won a silver medal at the Old World Championship in 1998.
A year later, the winner of the World Youth Games in Moscow, Rasul Salimov, grabbed the bronze medal at the European Championship in Slovakia. Another national judoka, Elchin Ismayilov, became the European champion in 2000 in Wroclaw.
However, the achievements of Azerbaijani judo fighters did not stop there. Elnur Mammadli was named the best at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 73 kg division.
The list of the country's top judo fighters includes Rustam Orujov, İrina Kindzerskaya, Mammadali Mehdiyev, Elmar Gasimov, Hidayat Heydarov, Zelim Kotsoev, Ushangi Kokauri, and Nijat Shikhalizada.
At the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, judokas Hidayat Heydarov (73 kg) and Zelym Kotsoiev (100 kg) earned gold medals for Azerbaijan.
