The Abu Dhabi Judo Grand Slam continued at the Mubadala Arena on its second day, featuring high-stakes matches and a series of impressive performances from international athletes. The event, which serves as part of the Olympic qualification period, saw several judokas secure their first major titles.
In the women's -63kg category, Poland’s top-ranked judoka Angelika Szymanska, a gold medalist from the Lausanne Grand Slam, utilized her experience to defeat Hungary’s Anna Kriza. Szymanska secured a waza ari to claim the victory. His Excellency Jabr Al Suwaidi, UAE Minister of State, presented the medals for this weight class.
The -73kg men's final provided an epic showdown between Tajikistan’s Masudi Ahamadzod and Morocco’s Hassan Doukkali. A precise feint allowed Doukkali to position himself for a yuko, earning Morocco its first-ever Grand Slam gold medal. The medals were awarded by His Excellency Ashrafjon Gulov, the Ambassador of Tajikistan to the U.A.E.
In the women's -70kg division, Portugal’s Tais Pina faced Brazil’s Kaillany Cardoso. Demonstrating superior groundwork, Pina turned over and pinned her opponent to capture her first Grand Slam gold in two years. Former Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee President Brian Lewis presented the medals.
The men's -81kg final saw a dramatic finish as Moldova’s Petru Pelivan defeated Finland’s Eetu Ihanamaki. Pelivan executed a clever ko uchi gari that scored a yuko, securing the first Grand Slam gold of his career. The Moldova Judo Federation Vice President, Victor Florescu, awarded the medals. The tournament is scheduled to continue tomorrow as the heavyweight athletes take to the mat.
A brilliant feint from DOUKKALI got him in the perfect position to score yuko and claim a historic 1st grand slam gold for Morocco!
