ABU DHABI // The UAE failed to add to their medal tally at the IJF World Judo Tour Grand Slam Abu Dhabi after both their judokas failed to go beyond the first round on the final day.
The five gold medals that were up for grabs were shared by five different countries – the Netherlands, Brazil, Serbia, Azerbaijan and Romania – at the Ipic Arena on Sunday.
The UAE’s Mihail Machetan was beaten by World No 15 Eduardo Bettoni of Brazil in the 90-kilogram event and Reem Abdouli barely lasted 30 seconds against Brigitte Rose of Seychelles in the women’s 78kg opener.
However, it was a competition the UAE were cherishing after Sergiu Toma, the bronze medallist at the Rio Olympics, claimed his first Grand Slam gold and Victor Scvortov took bronze.
“We expected two medals and we achieved it,” Naser Al Tamimi, the general secretary of the UAE Wrestling, Judo and Kick Boxing Federation, said.
“Anything beyond that would have been a bonus. We had seven entered for this event, including three Emirati women, making their debut in the Grand Slam. It was the experience for them. We will now focus on taking this momentum forward at the Grand Slam Tokyo in four weeks.”
It was the Moldovan-born Toma’s 14th medal for the UAE in four years in all competitions.
Marius Vizer, president of the International Judo Federation, hailed the landmark achievement for the hosts and praised their continued success on the IJF World Judo Tour.
“I see this result as confirmation of the UAE’s Olympic medal,” he said. “I believe it is a good promotion for judo here and in the Gulf region.
“The UAE have been successful in promoting the sport and its values in addition to being successful at the elite level.”
France topped the medals table with three gold, one silver and two bronze. The Netherlands bagged two gold and a silver while Brazil finished with a gold, four silver and eight bronze.
Guusje Steenhius won a second gold of the competition for the Netherlands when taking the under-78kg final. She beat Germany’s Anna Maria Wagner in the first of the five finals.
Brazilian Maria Altheman stunned top-seeded Carolin Weiss of Germany in the +78kg.
Serb Aleksandar Kukolj took the men’s 90kg final from Tural Safguliyev of Azerbaijan, but Elkhan Mammadov, a former world champion, put that disappointment behind for the Central Asian nation by taking gold in the Under -100kg.
The World Master’s winner Daniel Natea rounded off the competition by claiming Romania’s only medal by getting the better of Aliaksandr Vakhaviak of Russia in the over-100kg final.
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