• Japan had won all previous six editions of the mixed teams of the World Judo Championships

Amin Abbas

Japan bagged top honors in the 37th Judo World Championships by claiming first place with a total of 10 medals (4 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze).

Georgia with 5 medals (2 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze) and South Korea with 5 medals (2 gold and 3 bronze) finished second and third respectively at the Mubadala Arena, in Abu Dhabi.

658 judokas from 107 countries took part in in the championship which is part of the IJF World Tour.

This is the first time-ever that the United Arab Emirates is organizing this world championships following the staging of several World Grand Prix events in the past.

Overall, this has been an astounding competition with the medals being shared among a remarkable 24 countries, while 40 countries earned at least one top eight finish, highlighting the continued development of the sport worldwide.

In attendance for the final day of the competition was Mohammed bin Thaloub Al Darai, Chairman of the Supreme Organizing Committee of the World Judo Championship — Abu Dhabi 2024 and President of the Emirates Judo Federation, who handed over the champions’ trophy to the Japanese team, along with Marius Viser, President of the International Judo Federation.

Japan had won all previous six editions of the mixed teams of the World Judo Championships.

The mixed team event is unique in high-level sport. Each team consisted of three women and three men from each participating nation, each competing in one of six weight categories against their contemporaries in the opposing team.