Azerbaijan, Croatia and Bahrain Celebrate Opening-Day Golds in Abu Dhabi
Usagevpn.com – The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam opened at the Mubadala Arena with a series of breakthrough performances, as athletes returning to the World Judo Tour after the World Championships competed for major medals across the lighter weight categories.
Azerbaijan enjoyed a particularly memorable start. Konul Aliyeva made history in the women’s -48kg division, while Balabay Aghayev delivered an emphatic victory in the men’s -60kg final. Croatia’s Tihea Topolovec, Bahrain’s Sukhrob Boqiev and France’s Martha Fawaz also claimed important Grand Slam titles on the first day.
Aliyeva Makes Azerbaijani History
The -48kg final paired Türkiye’s Merve Azak with Azerbaijan’s Konul Aliyeva. Aliyeva emerged with the gold medal, becoming the first Azerbaijani woman to win a Grand Slam title in judo.
Her achievement gave the opening day one of its defining moments and added a landmark result for Azerbaijan’s women’s programme on the international circuit. International Judo Federation President Marius Vizer presented the medals.
Aghayev Justifies Top Seeding
Azerbaijan’s second gold came in the -60kg category, where top seed Balabay Aghayev faced 18-year-old Loiq Kudbudinov in the final. Aghayev showed the qualities expected of the favourite, combining pace and technical control before producing a dynamic ippon to secure the title.
An ippon is the decisive score in judo, awarded for a clean, powerful and controlled technique that ends a contest immediately. Aghayev’s finish underlined his status at the top of the draw and completed a highly successful day for his team. International Judo Federation Vice President Dr Laszlo Toth awarded the medals.
Topolovec Breaks Through at -52kg
Croatia’s Tihea Topolovec claimed her first Grand Slam gold medal after defeating Olympic medallist Amandine Buchard of France in the -52kg final. Topolovec earned a waza-ari with a well-judged action and held on to take the biggest title of her World Tour career to date.
Unlike an ippon, a waza-ari does not automatically finish the match, but it can prove decisive when no further scores are registered. Topolovec’s composed performance against an accomplished opponent made the result especially significant. IOC member Balazs Fürjes presented the medals.
Boqiev Produces a Major Upset
The men’s -66kg competition produced another standout story. Bahrain’s Sukhrob Boqiev reached the first World Tour final of his career against Iago Abuladze and went on to win gold despite arriving with a world ranking of 277.
Boqiev’s victory demonstrated the unpredictability that often shapes Grand Slam competition. Rankings can help frame expectations, but the one-day format demands consistency through several difficult contests and leaves room for athletes to transform their status with a single exceptional run. International Judo Federation Vice President Obaid Al Anzi awarded the medals.
Fawaz Claims Another Grand Slam Crown
France’s Martha Fawaz took gold in the women’s -57kg final against Brazil’s Shirlen Nascimento. Fawaz scored twice for waza-ari, first capitalising on a weak attack with an o-soto technique and then driving across the tatami with an o-uchi-gari.
The two scores gave Fawaz her second Grand Slam title. Her final showed the importance of punishing even a small tactical error while maintaining attacking pressure throughout the contest. International Judo Federation Vice President Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko presented her gold medal.
Home Support Adds to the Atmosphere
The United Arab Emirates team also gave the local crowd moments to enjoy, including strong action from Narmandakh Bayanmunkh. Hosting the event at the Mubadala Arena places the UAE athletes in front of home supporters while bringing leading judoka from across the World Tour to Abu Dhabi.
Grand Slam events are among the most important regular tournaments in international judo, making every podium result meaningful for athletes seeking to establish themselves against elite opposition. The opening day provided historic firsts, an upset from deep in the rankings and decisive technical finishes across several divisions.
Competition at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam continues on day two, with more medals still to be decided.
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