{"id":16313,"date":"2026-10-05T09:53:55","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T01:53:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/?p=16313"},"modified":"2026-10-05T09:54:28","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T01:54:28","slug":"a-golden-opening-for-azerbaijan-and-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/a-golden-opening-for-azerbaijan-and-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"A golden opening for Azerbaijan and Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For the host nation, the result could hardly have been more memorable at the World Judo Championships in Baku. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Azerbaijan claimed its first gold medal of the championships thanks to Ahmad Yusifov who produced a magnificent performance to become the new hero of an elated home crowd. Before the competition, naturally much attention had focused on world number one Balabay Aghayev but Yusifov seized his own opportunity in the finest possible fashion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He defeated Kazakhstan’s Sherzod Davlatov in the final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Davlatov arrived with a powerful style and a positive attitude. He attacked and attacked and eventually caught Yusifov with a ko-uchi-gari for a waza-ari. This seemed to light a fire under the Azerbaijani fighter and he found a new gear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Davlatov, not feeling that there had been a change in his opponent, continued to come forward and attempted to pick Yusifov up but he was ready and countered beautifully, scoring his own waza-ari. His transition was also on point and not settling for just an equaliser, Ahmad Yusifov circled and held his opponent for a second waza-ari.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI always tried to keep positive thoughts in my mind and to believe that I could win, especially in front of this crowd. Their support was incredible. Every single person in the arena gave me energy and helped me throughout the competition. I felt that support very strongly and it pushed me to give everything I had. Now I am world champion and I feel great. This title belongs, in part, to everyone who supported me here today,\u201d said Yusifov.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the women\u2019s -48 kg category, Wakana Kogam of Japan claimed the title beating Italian Assunta Scutto. Kugo had not entered the competition among the top four seeds, yet her experience and record at the highest level meant that anything was possible. Koga made the possibility real, securing the fourth world championship medal of her career and, for the first time, it was gold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scutto and Koga, already hold 7 world championship medals between them and as their run on day one in Baku placed them both in the final, that total will already rise to 9, regardless of who the champion will be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scutto kept no secrets since winning the 2025 world title; the year since that day has been hard. An injury, surgery and several losses gave her cause to rethink her approach and with coach Antonio Ciano this is what she did. It worked and in Lima she won her first World Judo Tour medal since earning the red back number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wakana Koga arrived in Baku with a hunger to win the title, having reached world championship final blocks three times before without securing a gold medal. She was determined that today would be her day; she never dropped her guard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It took Koga less than a minute to register a first score, earning a yuko with a left-sided o-uchi-gari. Scutto showed immense strength not to fall back for ippon but then came the ne-waza and an inescapable hold from Koga. A minute and 15 seconds is all it took for Wakana Koga to earn her fourth world medal but her first gold. Scutto takes a 5th medal at this level, this time a silver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I wanted to improve on the small details that had made the difference in the past. Last time I finished third and lost to Scutto so today I really wanted to overcome that and take that one extra step. I carried that determination with me throughout the competition and I think it helped me find the spirit I needed to go all the way. There were many difficult fights to reach this point and I know there will be many more in the future. I want to keep progressing, keep winning and build on what I have achieved here,” said Koga.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For the host nation, the result could hardly have been more memorable at the World Judo Championships in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16314,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[106],"class_list":["post-16313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsbeat","tag-judo"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t