Azerbaijan’s Zelim Tchkayev Advances to World Judo Championship Final

Jerusalem, 7 October, 2026 (TPS-IL) -- Baku (AZERTAC) – Azerbaijani judoka Zelim Tchkayev has reached the final of the world championship held in Baku.

AZERTAC reports that the athlete, who competed in the 81 kilogram weight category, faced Kazakhstan’s Abulakhan Jubanazar in the semifinals.

The athlete, who defeated his opponent by ippon, qualified for the decisive match. In this round, he will face Georgian Tato Grigalashvili.

Today, Omar Rajabli, who also competes in the same weight category, will compete in the bronze medal match. Earlier, Vusal Qalandarzade (81 kilograms) and Anna Zaytseva (63 kilograms) lost to their rivals in the 1/8 and 1/16 finals, respectively, and were eliminated from the competition.

The Azerbaijani national team has currently has two medals. Ahmad Yusifov (60 kilograms) won gold, and Rashid Mammadaliyev (73 kilograms) won bronze. The World Cup concludes on October 11.