We could be looking at yet another epic battle in the -90kg category, perhaps even an Olympic final rematch between the top two seeds of the Senior World Championships in Hungary; MURAO Sanshiro (JPN) and Lasha BEKAURI (GEO). The current record stands 4:0 for the Georgian double Olympic Champion who made a return to competition during the La Nucia European Open in Spain prior to the Benidorm OTC. Now the only title Bekauri is missing is the world…
He came close in 2023 but missed out to team mate, Luka MAISURADZE, who he also shared the podium with in 2022 when both left Tashkent with bronze medals. In Budapest, Maisuradze will not be seeded, despite his serious accomplishments, going to show the high level of this weight. Even the current European Champion, and 2022 World silver medallist, Christian PARLATI (ITA) will be an outside threat!
Another many will have their eye on is Mikhail IGOLNIKOV (IJF). It may have felt like a hot minute since we saw him on top form, but he was unstoppable in the Qazaqstan Grand Slam last month, sailing through to a gold medal. Impressively, the defending World Champion, TAJIMA Goki (JPN) will also be waiting in the wings to potentially cause great upset early in the day.
Instead, among the seeds are Olympic bronze medallists, Theodoros TSELIDIS (GRE) and Maxime-Gael NGAYAP HAMBOU (FRA). Ngayap has managed to continue his momentum since Paris and faced off the European Champion, Parlati, in the final in Podgorica. Former European Champion, Eljan HAJIYEV (AZE) took some time out to mend an injury, but now he is back and fighting fit, proving that in Dushanbe where he took the gold medal, having to compete with team mate, Vugar TALIBOV in the final.
A great character on the tatami is Nemanja MAJDOV (SRB), and for him, Budapest has a very special place in his heart, given that he won the World title there in 2017. This of course wasn’t a one off, with countless medals coming afterwards, including both a European title in 2023 and world silver medal in 2024.
Judoka
Author: Thea Cowen