Japan leads after day one at the Asian Games opening day

On the first day of the Asian Games Judo Tournament held in Hangzhou, the Men's U60kg category kicked off the tournament with a flurry of explosive judo action. Yung Wei Yang from Chinese Taipei emerged as the gold medalist quite surprisingly although he’s been the world number one in this division. In the final de defeated Ha-Rim Lee of South Korea who put up an inspiring road to the final, but was only able to of securing the silver medal. Kwang Jin Chae of North Korea and Magzhan Shamshadin of Kazakhstan both took the bronze medal.

Japan dominated the category U66kg with judo mastery at its finest. Ryoma Tanaka from Japan demonstrated impeccable technique and composure on his way to the gold medal. Tanaka's journey symbolized the dedication and precision required to excel at the highest level of the sport in Japan where there are more stars in this division being the top aces in the world. Mongolia's Baskhuu Yondonperenlei couldn’t prevent Tanaka to take the gold medal, marking himself as a stable star in the judo world in this class. South Korea's Ba-Ul An and UAE's Narmandakh Bayanmunkh took the bronze medal at day one.

In the Women's U48kg category, Natsumi Tsunoda of Japan displayed unwavering determination and outstanding technique en route to the gold medal. In the final she defeated the talented Abiba Abuzhakynova from Kazakhstan who secured the silver medal, underlining her potential as a formidable judoka on the international stage. Khalimajon Kurbonova of Uzbekistan and Zongying Guo of China gave the crowd more to cheer for. The Chinese lightweights prove to become world class with this medal.

The Women's U52kg category featured gripping action and displays of remarkable and fighting spirit  as always by Diyora Keldiyorova of Uzbekistan and she emerged as the champion after she overcame Khorloodoi Bishrelt from the United Arab Emirates in the final. Mongolia's Sosorbaram Lkhagvasuren and South Korea's Ye-Rin Jung took bronze in this class.

As day one unfolded at the 2023 Asian Games Judo Tournament, Japan leads with two gold medals, not a surprise.