The Italian judo team is gearing up for the 2026 World Championships, scheduled to take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from October 4 through October 11. Individual competition will run at the National Gymnastics Arena from October 4 to October 10, while October 11 will feature the mixed team event. This marks the second major world championship appearance for Italy following the Paris Olympic Games, serving as a key benchmark within the ongoing athletic cycle leading toward the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Italian Roster and Weight Classes for Baku
In the women’s divisions, the roster includes Assunta Scutto (Fiamme Gialle) in the -48 kg category, Odette Giuffrida (Esercito) in the -52 kg category, Veronica Toniolo (Esercito) and Giulia Carnà (Fiamme Oro) in the -57 kg category, Carlotta Avanzato (Fiamme Oro) in the -63 kg category, Irene Pedrotti (Fiamme Azzurre) and Giorgia Stangherlin (Carabinieri) in the -70 kg category, and Asya Tavano (Fiamme Azzurre) alongside Erica Simonetti (Esercito) in the +78 kg category. For the mixed team event, Michela Terranova (Carabinieri) joins the pool in the -57 kg class.
The men’s squad features Andrea Carlino (Esercito) at -60 kg, Valerio Accogli (Carabinieri) and Matteo Piras (Esercito) at -66 kg, Giovanni Esposito (Fiamme Azzurre) and Leonardo Valeriani (Fiamme Gialle) at -73 kg, Antonio Esposito (Fiamme Azzurre) and Manuel Parlati (Fiamme Oro) at -81 kg, Kenny Bedel (Fiamme Oro) at -90 kg, and Gennaro Pirelli (Fiamme Oro) at -100 kg. Kwadjo Anani (Fiamme Azzurre) rounds out the roster additions for the mixed team event in the +90 kg division.
Recent Precedents and Team Expectations
At the previous World Championships in Budapest, the Italian team captured world titles through Alice Bellandi (Fiamme Gialle) in the -78 kg category and Assunta Scutto in the -48 kg category. Meanwhile, Manuel Lombardo (-73 kg) and Kenny Komi Bedel (-90 kg) narrowly missed the podium.
While acknowledging the absence of several prominent athletes, national leadership remains confident in the collective depth of the traveling delegation. Raffaele Parlati noted that the squad heading to Azerbaijan is extremely strong, competitive, and determined to fight at the highest levels of international judo. He added that despite missing key names such as Alice Bellandi, Christian Parlati, and Manuel Lombardo, the overall quality of the group remains exceptionally high.
Tournament Setup and Global Field
The global competition in Baku gathers 640 athletes representing 96 different nations. The official tournament draws are scheduled for October 3, with updates and bout sheets made available through the Judo.tv platform.
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