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Dushanbe to Host 2026 World Judo Masters, Boosting Tajikistan's Sporting Role

The International Judo Federation announced Dushanbe as the host for the 2026 World Judo Masters, scheduled for December 18-20. The invitation-only event features the top 36 athletes per weight category, offering 1,800 ranking points to winners. It will also count toward qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Tajikistan aims to use the event to promote judo and highlight its growing role in the sport.

Key Points: 2026 World Judo Masters in Dushanbe

  • Dushanbe, Tajikistan, to host 2026 World Judo Masters
  • Event brings top 36 athletes per weight category
  • 1,800 ranking points for gold medalist
  • Counts toward LA 2028 Olympic qualification
2 min read

Dushanbe to host 2026 World Judo Masters

Dushanbe, Tajikistan, will host the 2026 World Judo Masters from Dec 18-20, featuring top 36 athletes per weight category and 1,800 ranking points.

"It is a great honour for Tajikistan and our judo community to host the 2026 World Judo Masters in Dushanbe. - Ismoil Mahmadzoir"

Budapest, April 30

The International Judo Federation announced on Thursday that the 2026 World Judo Masters will be held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, from December 18 to 20. The World Judo Masters ranks just below the world championships within the IJF competition system.

As part of the World Judo Tour, the invitation-only event brings together the top 36 athletes in each weight category, with no limit on entries per country. The tournament carries significant world ranking value, with 1,800 points awarded to the gold medallist.

The 2026 edition will also count toward qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Dushanbe has emerged as a regular host on the World Judo Tour in recent years, staging multiple events and organising the 2024 World Junior Championships.

"It is a great honour for Tajikistan and our judo community to host the 2026 World Judo Masters in Dushanbe," said Tajik Judo Federation President Ismoil Mahmadzoir. "The event reflects the progress we have made in recent years and our growing role in international judo."

Mahmadzoir added that the country aims to deliver a high-level competition and further promote the sport, while the IJF said the event will provide a platform for the world's top judoka and support the development of judo in Central Asia.

The Judo World Masters is an annual, invite-only judo competition. After being open only to the top 16-ranked judoka in each weight class for its first eight instalments, the tournament was expanded to host the top 36 of each weight class in 2019. The world masters is the only world tour event with no limitation on the number of judoka competing from any single national association.

The immediate previous edition of the World Judo Masters was held in 2023 in Budapest, Hungary, with Japan leading the medal tally with 11 medals, including four gold medals. France ended with eight medals, including two gold medals, and Georgia was third with six medals, with one gold.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Siddharth D
While I appreciate the development, I feel the IJF should rotate these events more fairly. Central Asia gets plenty of tour stops now, what about Africa or South America? Still, kudos to Dushanbe for stepping up – they clearly know how to organize.
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Priya S
The fact that it's an invite-only event with no country limits is interesting. Makes it super competitive. I'm curious to see if any Indian judokas make the cut for the top 36. Our athletes need more exposure at this level before LA 2028. 🤔
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Rohan S
Amazing news for Tajikistan! The World Junior Championships in 2024 was well-organized, so no surprise they're getting the Masters. This will be a big help for Central Asian judo development. Hope India can learn from their progress.
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Manish T
1800 points for gold is huge! That's almost like a World Championship win in terms of rankings. The LA 2028 qualification angle makes this even more crucial. Every judoka will be gunning for this one. Be interesting to see which countries dominate.
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Aditya G
The expansion to top 36 from top 16 is a game changer. It gives more athletes a chance to compete at this level and gain vital experience. Dushanbe is becoming a real hub for judo in Asia. 🇮🇳 should aim to host something similar soon!

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