At the 2022 Tashkent World Championships, IJF President Marius Vizer and IJF EC Member and All Japan Judo Federation President Yasuhiro Yamashita attended a ceremony to sign an agreement to continue Tokyo Grand Slam events. It demonstrated the strong relationship between the IJF and the AJJF for the benefit of judo and the promotion of the sport across the world.
The World Judo Tour will return to Tokyo in December.
Third World title for Abe Uta
And Japan was the hot topic on day two in Tashkent with Japan’s Double World Champion Abe Uta looking to grasp her third World -52kg title. She blistered through the early rounds to set up a rematch of the Olympic Final against France’s Amandine Buchard in the semis. It was a close contest that saw both athletes score, but Abe won out again.
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Great Britain’s Chelsie Giles took bronze in Tokyo, and has been making waves ever since. She defeated under 48kg Olympic Champion Distria Krasniqi in the semi-final to get her to the final. But there it was Abe who took the gold, as her brother Abe Hifumi was to do later in the day.
Yasuhiro Yamashita IJF Executive Committee Member awarded the medals.
“It was my great pleasure to win the gold with my brother,» Abe Uta said. «It was a very special competition for our family”
Abe Hifumi makes it a double triumph for the siblings
At -66kg, there are two fighters who stand head and shoulders above the rest, and both hail from Japan: Uta’s brother Abe Hifumi and Joshiro Maruyama.
Last year Abe took gold for Japan in the Tokyo Olympics, while Maruyama took the World title. Both now have their sights set on selection for Paris 2024.
Today, Maruyama powered his way to the finals with one incredible Uchi-Mata after another.
Abe also looked explosive with a range of attacks, setting up the final that the whole judo world wanted.
Much like his sister, a counter-attack secured a Waza-ari and a hugely important win for Hifumi. The Abe siblings now hold six World titles and two Olympic titles between them.
Adkham Ikramov, the Uzbekistan Minister of Sports Development, awarded the medals.
“Me and my sister won the Olympics together and then today we won the World Championships together,» Abe said. «And I could prove that I was stronger.”
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The Humo Arena hosted the excited crowd once again, with a plethora of activities to get the judo family engaged in and around the competition, making the world championships in Uzbekistan a contest that judo fans will never forget!