Soyib Kurbonov still Uzbekistans strongest

The experienced Uzbekistan judoka Soyib Kurbonov went unbeaten on the final day of the Grand Prix in Tashkent to be crowned U100kg gold medallist as he defeated Madrid European Open bronze medallist Jalil Shukurov (AZE) in the final.

The Uzbek Budapest Grand Prix silver medallist had won their one and only previous meeting and that outcome was the same today as the world number 25 prevailed 2:3 on shido penalties. Both judoka had two shidos to their names with 10 seconds left and golden score loomed until the Azeri was penalised for a cross-grip and had to rue that grave error which settled the fate of the gold and silver medals.

In the first semi-final Kurbonov defeated Tyumen Grand Slam bronze medallist Kazbek Zankishiev (RUS) after 68 seconds of golden score with a yuko from a makikomi attack. In the second semi-final former Asian Championships bronze medallist Saidzhalol Saidov (TJK) succumbed to Shukurov by ippon after 10 seconds from a tai-otoshi.

The first bronze medal was won by 25-year-old former Asian Championships bronze medallist Viktor Demyanenko (KAZ) who edged out Saidov in a scoreless contest on shido penalties. Demyanenko won his first IJF Grand Prix medal when his opponent received a fourth and final penalty to receive hansoku-make. The second bronze medal was won by former Ulaanbaatar Grand Prix bronze medallist Erkin Doniyorov (UZB) who countered the ashi-waza attack of Zankishiev for a waza-ari and the home judoka landed on top of his opponent and remained there for 15 seconds in osaekomi to win by waza-ari awasette-ippon.