On Day 1 of the São João da Madeira “Millennium Team” Cadet European Cup 2025, all eyes were on the -60kg final — a thrilling rematch of the showdown in Antalya earlier this year between two outstanding Kazakh judokas, sure something singular in the Tour, that ended up the same way, Bakdaulet KABDESHOV took the gold, while Yernur BATYRGALI took the silver. But that was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to Kazakhstan’s dominance in Portugal, as they reached six out of the eight finals on the day, including another all-Kazakh clash in the -50kg category, won by Arman MYSSA.
It wasn’t just Kazakhstan making waves — Belgium’s girls were also in top form. With three finalists out of four categories and two gold medals won! Fenne PEETERS and Viktoria GRIGORYAN topped the podium in the -40kg and -44kg categories, respectively.
The event also welcomed an important institutional presence, with Portugal’s Secretary of State for Sport, Pedro Dias, attending the competition. His visit underscored the significance of international judo events like this one in promoting youth sport, while also offering a powerful boost of motivation to the Portuguese Judo Federation. It was a clear recognition of the impact that judo has and the important role it plays in society.
Temperatures rose sharply today! With the heavyweight categories set to take over tomorrow, anticipation is running high. Drama, power, and passion for judo are sure to be the main ingredients on Day 2.
Author: Portuguese Judo Federation
Judoka
Author: EJU Media