emirates7 - Mohamed Yazbek, a member of the UAE national judo team, secured a bronze medal in the under-81kg category at the OTP Bank World Judo Championships, currently underway in Budapest, Hungary, with athletes from 93 nations competing.
His accomplishment propelled the UAE to the top of the rankings among Arab countries and placed it 12th overall in the global standings.
Yazbek’s podium finish came after a strong performance in a highly competitive bracket featuring 45 top-ranked international judokas. He earned the bronze by defeating Serbia’s Mohamed Bekov in the final match, marking a standout achievement for the UAE team ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Yazbek narrowly missed advancing to the final after a close quarter-final loss to France’s Joan-Benjamin Gaba, the current world champion and Olympic medallist.
The championship is now in its fifth day, featuring the under-90kg heavyweight division, where UAE’s Suleiman Ibrahim is scheduled to compete against Senegal’s Abdoul Rahman Diaw.
His accomplishment propelled the UAE to the top of the rankings among Arab countries and placed it 12th overall in the global standings.
Yazbek’s podium finish came after a strong performance in a highly competitive bracket featuring 45 top-ranked international judokas. He earned the bronze by defeating Serbia’s Mohamed Bekov in the final match, marking a standout achievement for the UAE team ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Yazbek narrowly missed advancing to the final after a close quarter-final loss to France’s Joan-Benjamin Gaba, the current world champion and Olympic medallist.
The championship is now in its fifth day, featuring the under-90kg heavyweight division, where UAE’s Suleiman Ibrahim is scheduled to compete against Senegal’s Abdoul Rahman Diaw.