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Gold shower for Uzbekistan at the Judo Grand Slam in Tashkent

At the Judo Grand Slam in Tashkent, the next generation of Uzbek judoka had the opportunity to see their heroes. For today the heavy-hitters were on the mat, such as local hero Davlat Bobonov, the 2022 World Champion.

The 25-year-old, who competed with his red world champion badge, was on fire all day, showing unforgettable judo and scoring in each of his bouts. And he made his way to the final, where he met Japan’s Murao Sanshiro and eventually won the fight.

“I love competitions at home,” Bobonov said later in the interview. “They are not easy, but the support of the local fans is incredible and that helps me to win.”

In the 78kg weight class, Japan’s Rika Takayama competed against Italy’s Giorgia Stangherlin. She showed outstanding ground work to armbar the Italian and take gold. “I wanted to win here,” Takayama said. “And I’m very happy that I did it. “

There was also a lot of excitement guaranteed in the 100 kg category. Varlam Liparteliani from Georgia won the title. In the final he won against Aaron Fara by first defeating the Austrian with a waza-ari and then holding on for an ippon.

In the 78 kg category, Japan’s Tomita Wakaba stood at the top of the podium. He defeated Su Xin of China to win gold medal number four for the Japanese team.

In the men’s 100kg final, another Uzbek, Alisher Yusupov, prevailed. The 24-year-old won against Saito Tatsuru from Japan. It was the last gold medal of the tournament – the fight was a perfect end to these three days in Tashkent.

By Thomas