All japan final between Koga and Tsunoda final U48kg

At the opening day of the World Championships in Budapest an all Japan final will be held U48kg. Wakana Koga and Natsumi Tsunoda will fight for the world title. The last time was ten years ago in 2011 in Paris when Asami and Fukumi fought for the world title. Since 2007 there was always a Japanese in the final U48kg.

Distria Krasniqi (KOS) can take a bronze medal In the category for women U48kg. Krasniqi lost the semi final against Japanese Natsumi Tsunoda. The second semi final was between Wakana Koga the second Japanese and Spanish Julia Figueroa, won by the tiny Japanese. 

Distria Krasniqi (KOS), seemed well on her way to reaching a first world final of her senior career, to add to the gold medal she won in Abu Dhabi at the 2015 World Championships for Juniors. Successively, she beat the Olympic medallist Eva Csernoviczki (HUN), Sabina Giliazova (RJF) and Laura Martinez Abelenda (ESP), to reach the semi-final.

There she found Tsunoda Natsumi (JPN), winner of the World Judo Masters in 2018 in Guangzhou, China. The Japanese judoka had passed the obstacles of Milica Nikolic (SRB), in the first round, before winning against French athlete Mélanie Clement and then Keisy Perafan (ARG).

It took only 2:28 for Tsunoda to score ippon against Krasniqi, whose power has been wreaking havoc on the world circuit for months, a power that allowed her to win the World Judo Masters in January, as well as the hotly contested European Championships more recently.

In the second half of the draw Julia Figueroa could have become the first Spanish women since 2009 to reach a final. Oiana Blanco was the last in 2009 in Rotterdam, but she lost the semi final. It will definitely bring her a ticket to Tokyo as Laura Martinez Abelenda lost her repechage match. She reached the last eight but lost to Perafan. Figueroa still has a chance for a bronze medal once she can overcome Keisy Perefan of Argentina for bronze. Olympic Champion Paula Pareto is absent.

Munkhbat Urantsetseg (MGL) was the favourite for a place in the final, especially after beating Galbadrakh Otgontsetseg (KAZ) in the third round, but the multiple world medallist finally had to bow out to the very young Koga Wakana (JPN), only 19 years old, Junior World Champion in 2019 and a remarkable finalist in Paris in 2020. Her CV is still far away from that of Munkhbat, but it seems her level is not.

With momentum, Koga climbed to the final after eliminating Julia Figueroa (ESP) in the semi-final, who had, had an almost flawless run until that point, especially against the rising French star Shirin Boukli, who later failed to escape the Munkhbat trap in the repechage.

French Shirine Boukli was sent to the repechage due her to loss against Figueroa and she lost that battle with Urantsetseg Munkhbat of Mongolia in a technical clash. The tiny Kazach Otgontsetseg Galbadrakh lost to her former compatriot Munkhbat who still shows to be among the best.Munkhbat  can take another world medal if she can beat Distria Krasniqi of Kosovo.

The other strong French Melanie Clement (FRA) lost to Tsunoda. Also Serbian Milica Nikolic lost to Tsunoda. The two strong Italian women Giorda and Milani lost just before the quarter finals.