The Masters, which will be held from January 11 to 13 in Doha, is the first major international tournament for the inaugural season of 2021. The top 36 judo from each weight class have been invited.
Monday’s best contestant was Destria Krasnicki from Kosovo, who faced 2017 world champion Tonaki Vuna in Japan in the final. He was a tough opponent, but the Kosovars had already clinched the match in the first 90 seconds with two adorable moves, and took a third major championship coin. The award was presented to them by the Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee, Yassem Rashid Al-Buainain.
“I am very proud of myself because I have come home with a medal for every race that I have started in the past two years. I am very happy of course. I trained hard and have the best coach and the best team,” said Distria Krasnicki: “We support each other.”
The outstanding male judo player on the first day of the race was South Korean Kim von Chen, who finished his match against Taiwanese Jang Jung Vij with Tani Uchi’s impressive throw. He was presented with the gold medal by Hussein Al-Musallam, Director General of the Olympic Council of Asia.
“I faced strong opponents in each of my preliminary matches. One of them was the 2019 World Champion, but the others were also strong. I didn’t give up, I was able to do my best so I could win,” Kim von Chen said in a statement.
In the 52-pound weight class, French world leader Amandine Bouchard defeated 2017 world champion Chichimi I. The gold and silver were handed over to them by Mr. Obaid Al-Anzi, Vice President of the International Federation.
In the finals of the 66-pound weight class, 2015 world champion Anne Powell looked sadly at Israeli Shmilov and sent his opponent to the ground with an amazing mix. With that, he won the second coin in the main South Korean championship. The honor was given by Jean-Luc Rogge, Secretary General of the International Warlock Federation.
In the 57-pound race, Josida Chukasa met Sarah Leoni Cesik for the finals, as she once did at the World Cup in Tokyo – just the opposite: the Japanese won the duel. Habib Sissoko, Vice President of the International Googler Federation, presented the awards.
Today’s Hungarian score was that Réka Pupp finished fifth in the 52kg weight group.
The best job on Monday was Russian Ebon Oguzov against Tunisian Dhoibi. So the 2021 judo season started in Doha with a great race.
