Ray and Bouba Exit World Judo Championships in Second Round

Le tirage au sort ne m’a pas du tout fait peur, Kelvin Ray declared after his elimination at the Baku World Judo Championships.

The French judo team experienced a day without a podium finish on Monday in Baku, Azerbaijan, as both competitors in the men’s -66 kg category exited the tournament in the second round.

Kelvin Ray falls to Hifumi Abe after late penalties

Selected at the last minute following the withdrawal of Walide Khyar, 20-year-old Kelvin Ray showed composure in his opening bouts. After winning his first match without trouble, Ray advanced to the round of 16 to face Olympic champion and four-time world champion Hifumi Abe of Japan. Ray maintained an aggressive and enterprising approach before ultimately conceding defeat through penalties during the extension period.

Je suis déçu parce que même si j’étais remplaçant et qu’on ne m’attendait pas, dans ma tête, j’étais prêt à faire une médaille, he said.

Daikii Bouba exits against Denis Vieru in a tight contest

Daikii Bouba, European champion in 2025, met a similar fate on the tournament’s second day. Competing in the same -66 kg division, Bouba was eliminated in the second round by Moldova’s Denis Vieru, an Olympic and world medalist. Bouba dropped a close match decided by a single yuko, unable to shift the momentum of the tightly contested bout.

France maintains one bronze medal after Monday

Ray and Bouba were the only French athletes on the tatami on Monday. The coaching staff of the French national team elected not to enter any competitors in the women’s -52 kg category. Following two days of competition at the world championships, France’s medal count remains anchored at a single bronze, captured Sunday by Shirine Boukli in the women’s -48 kg division.