The local organisers have shown, year after year, that they have a federation workforce that loves judo, supported by volunteers who are totally in tune with the rhythm of judo too. This is the foundation of the Dushanbe Grand Slam, a unique event on the IJF calendar and a reminder of the power of shared passion.
The national anthem of the republic of Tajikistan was heard, thanks to the effort and skill of Nurali Emomali. He is already number two in the world ranking and in Dushanbe he consolidated this, showing that he is willing to give every ounce of energy for the result, for his federation and for the judo fans that filled the arena.
Emomali was not the only Tajik medallist on day one; Loiq Kudbudinov gave the performance of his life to win his first WJT medal, a bronze fuelled by the encouraging noise from the stands. To feel the power of a home-grown medal in Dushanbe is to feel something special and Kudbudinov felt every beat of it.
The Russian Federation took pole position on the medal table at the end of the day, thanks to Ayub Bliev (-60 kg) and Olga Mukhina’s (-57 kg) golds and the bronze medals of Abuladze, Elkina and newcomer German Kobets. Sharp judo defined the champions and there is no doubt that their delegation will expect more of this in the two remaining days.
Mongolia and Italy took the last two titles, Anudari Jamsran (-48 kg) and Odette Giuffrida (-52 kg) delivering dominant strategies, despite being at opposite ends of their careers. This is an interesting dynamic in elite judo that points to a potential longevity that must be admired. Judo is hard and it is complicated to reach the top level but teenagers an veterans alike have the possibility to be at the top of their game, with hard work and a great support team. Jamsran and Giuffrida proved this today.
Day two brings the middleweights to the Qasri Tennis arena and the action can be found live on JudoTV from midday local time. Tune in to enjoy the uniqueness of the Dushanbe Grand Slam.