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Judo Worlds 2022: with two gold medals, Japan responds to Tashkent

As part of the flagship event of the International Judo Federationthe World Judo Championships have collaborated with the Uzbek government to organize a unique event: The Judo Economic Forum.

This forum which brings together members of the judo family, government and private sector representatives was a great success. This day is above all a starting point for a project that will benefit both the economy and the sports community.

Japan hits hard

Judo enthusiasts gathered this Thursday at the Humo Arena in Tashkent for the first day of the 2022 Judo Worlds.

Japan hit hard with a gold double on the first day of the World Championships.

In the women’s -48 kg category, defending champion Tsunoda Natsumi and in the men’s -60 kg category, Olympic champion Takato Naohisa won the gold medal.

In the final, her longest fight of the day, Tsunoda Natsumi won by ippon after 2 min 16 sec against the German Katharina Menz, who was playing her first international final in a major championship.

The Japanese champion was calm and serene throughout the competition. His favorite attack, the Tomoe Nage, and his total dominance in the groundwork are almost unmatched.

By becoming double world champion, Natsumi Tsunoda left her mark on the -48 kg category. The President of the International Judo Federation, Marius Vizer, presented the medals to the winners.

Takato Naohisa in legend

For men, Tokyo Olympic champion Takato Naohisa won his fourth world title in -60 kg after those of 2013, 2017 and 2018.

In the semi-finals, he found his opponent from the Olympic final, the great Yang Yung Wei. But he didn’t give her a chance.

In the final of the – 60kg category, against the Mongolian Ariunbold Enkhtaivan, the Japanese scored a first waza-ari after twenty seconds and did it again two minutes later.

By winning a fourth world title, Naohisa Takato has truly inscribed his name in the history of judo.

Takato’s runner-up at the Olympics, Yang Yung-wei, won bronze, as did Kazakh Yeldos Smetov.

“I love judo and I watch it all the time, I can stay at the highest level because I train every day”, I explained Takato Naohisa.

Although Uzbekistan narrowly missed out on a medal, Dilshodbek Baratov showed great respect for his Kazakh opponent. This gesture is above all a sign of great things to come in these World Championships!

Results of the first day of the World Championships in Tashkent:

Women: -48kg

1. Tsunoda Natsumi (JPN)

2. Katharina Menz (GER)

3. Assunta Scutto (ITA)

3. Abiba Abuzhakynova (KAZ)

Men: -60kg

1. Takato Naohisa(JPN)

2. Ariunbold Enkhtaivan (MON)

3. Yeldos Smetov (KAZ)

3. Yang Yung-wei (TPE)

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