Iranian judokas finish empty-handed on IJF Grand Slam return
All three members of the Iranian men’s judo team suffered early exits at the Dushanbe Grand Slam in the country’s first participation at the International Judo Federation’s annual showpiece in six years.
A gold medalist at the Casablanca African Open in January, Elyas Parhizgar fell to a first-round defeat against Ukraine’s Vladyslav Ukrkolobov in the -81kg class, while Amirabbas Choopan – a bronze medalist at February’s Tunis African Open – was beaten by Kazakhstan’s Daniil Krylov in his first bout in the -90kg division.
Iranian prodigy Mohammad-Pouria Banaeian, who claimed an impressive junior gold medal in the Tunisian capital, was undone by Azerbaijan’s Ushangi Azekokauri in the +100kg contest.
Next for the Iranian trio will be the Astana Grand Slam, starting on Friday in Kazakhstan.
The two tournaments will serve as a significant part of Iran’s preparation for the Aichi–Nagoya 2026 Asian Games in September, after the country missed out on April’s Asian Championships in Ordos City, China, as a result of the military conflict with the United States and Israel.