JUDO – Bahrain's Paris 2024 Olympian Askerbii Gerbekov bagged a bronze medal in the men’s 81kg category in the Baku Grand Slam 2025, hosted in the Azerbaijan capital.
The top-class judo competition featured more than 250 competitors from nearly 40 countries from around the world.
Gerbekov, who is now coached by former world championships silver-medallist and ex-European champion Kamal Khan Magomedov from Russia, was in action in five matches en route to securing his place on the podium. The 28-year-old first defeated Irakli Beroshvili of Georgia in the round of 32 to make it through to the last 16, where he beat Hungarian Attila Ungvari.
Gerbekov then defeated Tajikistan’s Behruzi Khojazoda in the quarter-finals to set up a semi-final clash with Canadian Francois Gauthier Drapeua. But he lost that contest, leaving him to face Omar Rajabli of Azerbaijan for a bronze medal. Gerbekov defeated Rajabli to secure his accolade.
Zelim Tckaev, also of Azerbaijan, captured the gold medal in his weight class after defeating Drapeau in the final. Meanwhile, also taking a bronze medal and sharing the podium step with Gerbekov was Egor Sukhoparov representing the International Judo Federation. He beat Somon Makhmadbekov of Tajikistan in their concluding contest.
Gerbekov’s earned Bahrain tied-15th place on the final medal table. The kingdom was level with South Korea, Poland, Greece, Croatia and Austria.
Japan finished in first place with eight gold medals, four silver, and two bronze, followed by Germany with one gold, two silver and one bronze medal. Azerbaijan took third place with one gold, one silver and three bronze medals.
Gerbekov’s bronze was the third time he stepped onto the podium in the Baku Grand Slam. In last year’s edition and in 2022, he also won bronze both times.
Gerbekov has also won bronze in a grand prix, as well as gold medals and a silver in continental opens and other top competitions.
On this occasion, Bahrain Combat Sports Council vice-president and Bahrain Judo Federation president Dr Faisal Khalid Kanoo expressed his delight with Gerbekov’s distinguished result, which he said should be an inspiration to the kingdom’s other judokas to achieve more great results.
Dr Kanoo praised the high technical level presented by Gerbekov in the competition and appreciated the efforts of the BJF’s technical and administrative staff which have assisted him in claiming his bronze medal. Gerbekov is an experienced competitor at the highest level of judo. He is also a world-class practitioner of sambo, in which he has also won multiple medals at the highest levels.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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