Azerbaijan Opens U-23 Judo Euros with First Gold Medal

The U-23 European Judo Championships have kicked off in Chișinău, the capital of Moldova, with Azerbaijan’s national team claiming its first gold medal on the opening day.

Islam Rahimov, competing in the 66 kg weight category, secured the championship after a decisive victory over Dutch judoka Jochen van Harten in the final, The Caspian Post reports, citing the Azerbaijan Judo Federation.

Rahimov’s path to the title began in the Round of 16, where he defeated Slovakia’s Roman Dekan and Croatia’s Dani Klacar.

In the semifinals, he overcame Armenia’s Jirayr Hambaryan before triumphing over Nazar Vyskota in the final to claim the gold medal.