Since it is the biggest tournament dedicaded to young people, officials have treated them as if they were seniors. Starting by the opening ceremony, a series of artistic programs being displayed as well as a parade for the participating teams. As for the official speaches lets start with Kairat Perneshovich Kozhamzharov, President of Kazakhstan Judo Federation.
“The World Championships is the largest and most important tournament. The strongest and the best young judoka are here and it is an honour for us to host such and event. I want to say thank you to the President of the International Judo Federation, Marius Vizer, for giving us the opportunity to organise this competiton. I declare the World Judo Championships Cadets 2019 open”.
As for the International Judo Federation, its Sport Director Armen Bagdasarov, said that “Kazakhstan is a well known judo country with a long and rich history full of champions. Therefore this is the place to be. Good luck to all athletes. Enjoy the tournament”.
The competition started with four categories. From the very first match the crowd could see that it would be a day of total offensive judo.
-40kg
The first gold medal of the day went to Hungary. Women -40kg category was a story of dethronement. Armenia and world number one Susanna Stepanyan lost in her very first contest against local hero Alima Zhumagaliyeva. The Kazakh became then the big favourite of the event until she met in the semi-finals Chiara Antonina Dispenza. The Italian won in the golden score and reached the final where Luca Mamira was waiting. The Hungarian, second in the world ranking, had a tough macth versus Russia's Sofia Afanaseva in semi-finals. Both finalists qualified for the most important contest after scoring during the whole day. But only one was really set. Thirty seconds after the beginning of the match, Mamira scored ippon and became world champion.
France and world number five Pauline Cuq won the first bronze medal by defeating Russia Sofia Afanaseva with a waza-ari in the golden score. The second bronze medal stayed in Kazakhstan. Alima Zhumagaliye defeated Brazil Rebeka Wenceslaw by ippon.
FINAL
DISPENZA Chiara Antonina (ITA) vs MAMIRA Luca (HUN)
BRONZE MEDAL CONTESTS
CUQ Pauline (FRA) vs AFANASEVA Sofia (RUS)
WENCESLAU Rebeka (BRA) vs ZHUMAGALIYE Alima (KAZ)
FINAL RESULTS
1. MAMIRA, Luca (HUN)
2. DISPENZA, Chiara Antonina (ITA)
3. CUQ, Pauline (FRA)
3. ZHUMAGALIYEVA, Alima (KAZ)
5. AFANASEVA, Sofia (RUS)
5. VENCESLAU, Rebeka (BRA)
7. STEPANYAN, Susanna (ARM)
7. TURCAN, Paulina (MDA)
-50kg
At that point, the crowd was already enthusiastic. Then came the men -50kg category, a duel between Kazakhstan's Nurkanat Serikbayev and France's Romain Valadier Picard. And these two were authentic warriors, scoring and defeating one by one all their opponents. Valadier Picard is leading the ranking list. Serikbayev is fifth. But in the final and in front of his crowd, the Kazakh judoka increased the level of his judo. He first scored waza-ari and completed his masterpiece with osaekomi to bring to his country its first gold medal in the competition.
“My coach told me before the final to control his right hand and to do my judo”, said the new world champion to IJF Media Team after the final. “This is exactly what I did. I managed to execute ura nage first and I finished the job with osaekomi. To win at home in such a nice way is just amazing”, he concluded.
Ukraine's Mykyta Holoborodko won the first bronze medal contest against Chinese Taipei judoka Hsu Chun-Kai by ippon.
In the second bronze medal contest Georgia Nika Bachiashvili defeated Romania Alexandru Matei by ippon after a very physical match.
FINAL
VALADIER PICARD Romain (FRA) vs SERIKBAYEV Nurkanat (KAZ)
BRONZE MEDAL CONTESTS
HSU Chung-Kai (TAI) vs HOLOBORODKO Mykyta (UKR)
BACHIASHVILI, Nika (GEO) vs. MATEI, Alexandru (ROU)
FINAL RESULTS
1. SERIKBAYEV, Nurkanat (KAZ)
2. VALADIER PICARD, Romain (FRA)
3. BACHIASHVILI, Nika (GEO)
3. HOLOBORODKO, Mykyta (UKR)
5. HSU, Chun-Kai (TPE)
5. MATEI, Alexandru (ROU)
7. AMANDYK, Yermakhan (KAZ)
7. NYAMSUREN, Mendsaikhan (MGL)
-44kg
Back to women contests, the final of the -44kg category was also unpredictable. On one side Turkey, world number one and former Youth Olympic champion, Merve Azak. On the other side the current Youth Olympic champion María Giménez. The Venezuelian spent more time on the mat in her previous contests but both reached the final in an expeditious way.
It was indeed a very tight contest, both judoka trying to execute their judo. One minute before the end, Azak took the lead with a waza-ari and secured the title.
“I knew her strongest move is harai-makikomi. I was prepared to face her and did exactly what I have planned with my coach”, said Azak with a shining smile.
Laura Soken won the first medal for Brazil in Almaty by defeating Italy Asia Avanzato in the first bronze medal contest. The second bronze medal flew to Japan. Miyagi Ayuna defeated Bulgaria Anastasiia Balaban by ippon.
FINAL
AZAK Merve (TUR) vs GIMENEZ María (VEN)
BRONZE MEDAL CONTESTS
SOKEN Laura (BRA) vs AVANZATO Asia (ITA)
BALABAN Anastasiia (BUL) vs MIYAGI Ayuna (JAP)
FINAL RESULTS
1. AZAK, Merve (TUR)
2. GIMENEZ, Maria (VEN)
3. MIYAGI, Ayuna (JPN)
3. SOKEN, Laura (BRA)
5. AVANZATO, Asia (ITA)
5. BALABAN, Anastasiia (BUL)
7. KURBONOVA, Khalimajon (UZB)
7. OZCAN, Hanife (TUR)
-55kg
Men`s -55kg was the last category of the day. And it was the total opposite from women. Japan Sato Yuma and Chinese Taipei Lin Chong-Yu were not among the favourites. But after their first matches everyone decided to keep an eye on them, and they were right to do it. In a very technical match, Chong-You surprised Sato with a fast and brilliant arm lock move and won the gold medal.
Uzbekistan's Sobirjon Karimov and Ukraine's Vladyslav Kolobov went to the golden score. After two minutes if not much, Karimov scored waza-ari with a flavour of bronze.
The second bronze medal contest could have happened in the final. Two top seeded, the world number one, Italia Vincenzo Skenderi and Turkey Berat Bahadir, the two of them too soon eliminated. It was not a final contest but it got the quality of a final. Skenderi scored waza-ari and won the second medal of the day for Italy.
FINAL
SATO Yuma (JAP) vs LIN Chong-You (TPE)
BRONZE MEDAL CONTESTS
KARIMOV Sobirjon (UZB) vs KOLOBOV Vladyslav (UKR)
BAHADIR Berat (TUR) vs SKENDERI Vincenzo (ITA)
FINAL RESULTS
1. LIN, Chong-You (TPE)
2. SATO, Yuma (JPN)
3. KARIMOV, Sobirjon (UZB)
3. SKENDERI, Vincenzo (ITA)
5. BAHADIR, Berat (TUR)
5. KOLOBOV, Vladyslav (UKR)
7. KHOROLSUREN, Battsengel (MGL)
7. ZAMANLI, Shukran (AZE)
After the opening session twelve countries have won a medal, four of them two medals and, perhaps as a sign from destiny, Kazakhstan is leading the medal table with one gold and one bronze.
But beyond diversity, the general feeling inside the venue was that these young people have given everything they had, until the last drop of sweat. There was nothing fake, it was genuine and offensive sport, it was a day of total Judo.