For the host nation, the result could hardly have been more memorable. Azerbaijan claimed its first gold medal of the championships thanks to Ahmad Yusifov who produced a magnificent performance to become the new hero of an elated home crowd. Before the competition, naturally much attention had focused on world number one Balabay Aghayev but Yusifov seized his own opportunity in the finest possible fashion.
The celebration inside the arena reflected the significance of the moment: a first title for Azerbaijan, achieved with style, determination and the full support of a public that never stopped believing. What a fantastic start for the host country, whose ambitions at these world championships have now been transformed into a golden reality.
In the women’s -48 kg category, Wakana Koga (JPN) claimed the title. She had not entered the competition among the top four seeds, yet her experience and record at the highest level meant that anything was possible. Koga made the possibility real, securing the fourth world championship medal of her career and, for the first time, it was gold.
Two categories, two powerful stories and the opening day has set the tone for what promises to be an exceptional week of world-class judo in Baku.