Azerbaijani judokas win gold and bronze on day one of Paris Grand Slam

The Paris Grand Slam judo tournament has officially kicked off in the French capital, with Azerbaijani judokas making an impressive start by winning one gold and one bronze medal on the opening day.

According to AzerNEWS, Azerbaijan finished the first day of competition second in the men’s medal standings among 78 participating countries, and third overall in the team rankings.

In the men’s -60 kg weight category, Balabey Aghayev claimed the gold medal after defeating Ukrainian judoka Dilshot Khalmatov in the final. The victory marked Aghayev’s third career title at the prestigious Paris Grand Slam.

Meanwhile, Ruslan Pashayev secured the bronze medal in the -66 kg division, defeating Italy’s Valerio Accoli in the bronze-medal bout. Pashayev sealed the win with a decisive yuko score in the final seconds of the contest.

The tournament continues tomorrow, with five more Azerbaijani athletes set to compete as Azerbaijan aims to strengthen its position in the international judo rankings.