Muhammadsoleh Quvatov books surprise victory for Tajikistan

The U60kg category at the Dushanbe Grand Slam 2024 kicked off with a thrilling showdown on the opening day. In a captivating final, Muhammadsoleh Quvatov faced off against Magzhan Shamshadin. An early penalty against Quvatov put Shamshadin in the lead, but the home favorite Quvatov rallied with determination. In a dramatic turn of events, Quvatov seized an opportune moment, executing a spectacular hikikomi-gaeshi throw to score an ippon, much to the delight of the enthusiastic crowd.

This victory marked Quvatov's first-ever World Judo Tour medal and brought him closer to Olympic qualification. While Shamshadin may have been disappointed with the final result, he managed to narrow the gap between himself and Serikbayev in the Olympic rankings, which is undoubtedly a significant achievement.

The bronze medal contests were equally thrilling, with Saaev securing victory over Gulov in a closely contested match. Despite Gulov's early dominance, Saaev staged a comeback, eventually scoring a waza-ari with a well-executed hikikomi-gaeshi throw, earning him his first World Judo Tour medal. In the other bronze medal contest, Kondo faced off against Maxime Merlin from France. Kondo's explosive uchi-mata attacks kept Merlin on the defensive, and in the closing seconds, Kondo capitalized on Merlin's attempted tani-otoshi, countering him with an ippon to claim his second grand slam medal.

The competition also saw Shamshadin's strategic victory over Mahmadizoda in the early rounds, with Shamshadin securing a win with an unusual kata-guruma throw. In the quarterfinals, Shamshadin faced Angelo Pantano from Italy, and after a tense match, Shamshadin capitalized on Pantano's failed attack, securing victory with a kuzure-kami-shiho-gatame hold-down just seconds before the end of the contest.

Overall, the -60kg category at the Dushanbe Grand Slam showcased exceptional skill and determination from all competitors, thrilling the audience and setting the stage for an exciting tournament.