Abu Dhabi Grand Slam 2024: First opponents of Azerbaijani judokas revealed

The draw ceremony for Abu Dhabi Grand Slam 2024 has taken place, Azernews reports.

The results of the draw revealed the first opponents of the Azerbaijani athletes. The national team will be represented by 12 male and 2 female judokas across 8 weight categories in the competition.

In the women's category, Leyla Aliyeva (48 kilograms) will face Germany's Sarah Ischt, and Acelya Toprak (57 kilograms) will compete against Cyprus's Marina Azinou.

In the men's category, Balabey Agayev (60 kilograms) will compete against the winner of the match between Alexandru Tirsin (Moldova) and Dauren Syukenov (Kazakhstan), while Huseyn Allahyarov (60 kilograms) will face Georgian Nika Khuzuraashvili. Ruslan Pashayev (66 kilograms) will take on Teo Raoul Ebrar (France) or Rashid Obaid (United Arab Emirates), and Rashad Yelkiyev (66 kilograms) will compete against Uzbekistan's Ismoil Nishonboev. Rashid Mammadaliyev (73 kilograms) will go against Ecuador's Bruno Bermeo, N?riman Mirzayev (73 kilograms) will face Japan's Tatsuki Ishihara, Zelim Tchkaiev (81 kilograms) will compete against Hungary's Botond Tot, and Omar Rajabli (81 kilograms) will take on the winner of the match between Vincenzo Pelligria (Italy) and Ruslan Musayev (Kazakhstan). Murad Fatiyev (90 kilograms) will face Rhyan Zarche Qaray (Philippines) or Luka Babutsidze (Georgia), Musa Huseynli (90 kilograms) will compete against Netherlands' Mark van Deyk, Imran Yusifov (+100 kilograms) will face Netherlands' Yur Speykers, and Ushangi Kokauri (+100 kilograms) will challenge the Philippines' Esleken Kedonu.

Abu Dhabi Grand Slam 2024 will take place in the United Arab Emirates on October 11-13. Around 232 judokas from 30 countries will compete for medals.

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, ?rina 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.