Chinese Women’s Judo: Rising Competitiveness in Lower Weight Classes

Ordos, China – April 17, 2026 – The opening day of the 2026 Asian Judo Championships in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, delivered a strong start for the host nation as Chinese athletes secured two bronze medals, while Tajikistan’s Nurali Emomali captured gold in the men’s 66kg category.

The competition, hosted at the Ordos Sports Affairs Development Center Sports Gymnasium, featured events in the men’s 60kg and 66kg divisions, and women’s 48kg and 52kg classes on the first day of competition. According to verified reports from the event, Chinese judokas Hui Xiran and Zhuang Wenna tied for third place in the women’s 48kg category, each earning a bronze medal. In the men’s 66kg division, Xue Ziyang of China claimed the bronze medal.

The gold medal in the men’s 66kg category was won by Tajikistan’s Nurali Emomali, who defeated his compatriot Obid Dzhebov in a historic all-Tajik final. The match was decided by a single yuko score, with Emomali prevailing through greater precision and composure. This result marked the first time in Asian Championship history that two athletes from the same nation faced each other in the final of a single weight class.

Emomali’s path to the final included victories over a Mongolian athlete in the quarterfinals and a Chinese representative in the semifinals. Dzhebov reached the final after defeating opponents from North Korea, Mongolia, and South Korea. The bronze medal match in the men’s 66kg category was not detailed in the available sources, but Xue Ziyang’s third-place finish was confirmed.

In the women’s 52kg division, Madina Kurbonzoda of Tajikistan secured the nation’s third medal of the day with a bronze. She lost in the semifinals to a Mongolian judoka but rebounded to defeat an athlete from Hong Kong in the bronze medal match. Earlier in the day, Mongolian athletes Jamsran Anudari and Myagmarsuren Nandin-Erdene won gold in the women’s 48kg and 52kg categories, respectively.

The men’s 60kg title was claimed by Ruslan Poltoratskii of Bahrain. China did not medal in that division, as no Chinese athlete reached the podium in the 60kg class according to the verified results.

This edition of the Asian Judo Championships marks the second time the event has been hosted in China. Organized by the Asian Judo Union, the championship serves as the continent’s premier judo competition and a key platform for athlete development and international exchange.

For Nurali Emomali, the victory adds to a growing list of accomplishments. Born on April 8, 2002, the Tajik judoka previously represented his country at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where he reached the quarterfinals before withdrawing due to injury. He went on to win a silver medal at the 2025 World Championships in Budapest and has held the world number one ranking in the men’s 66kg division.

The Chinese team’s performance on the opening day highlights continued progress in women’s judo, particularly in lower weight classes. The bronze medals earned by Hui Xiran, Zhuang Wenna, and Xue Ziyang reflect years of dedicated training and growing competitiveness on the Asian stage.

Competition is scheduled to continue in the coming days with additional weight categories set to be contested. Fans and followers can access official results and updates through the International Judo Federation’s website and the Asian Judo Union’s official channels.

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