The International Judo Federation (IJF) has officially announced that one of the world’s most prestigious tournaments, the World Judo Masters, will be held in Dushanbe this year from December 18 to 20.
The World Judo Masters is considered the pinnacle of the world judo calendar. In terms of status, it ranks only below the Olympic Games and the World Championships, occupying third place among the most significant competitions.
The tournament is held in an exclusive format: only the strongest participate — 36 of the best judokas in each weight category according to the world ranking. There are no restrictions on the number of athletes from one country, making the competition as tough and objective as possible.
In fact, this is a tournament where only elite fighters meet, and each match here is at the level of the finals of the largest world starts.
The World Judo Masters plays a key role in forming the world ranking. The winner receives 1800 points, the silver medalist gets 1260, and the bronze medalists receive 900.
The tournament holds special significance in the context of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles: the competitions in Dushanbe will be part of the qualification system, meaning the fight for medals will have strategic importance for all participants.
Why Dushanbe?
The choice of Dushanbe as the host of the tournament is not a coincidence, but a logical result of the rapid development of judo in Tajikistan.
In recent years, the country has made significant progress: after the first Olympic medal in Beijing 2008, a new strong impetus was given by the 2024 Olympics in Paris, where Tajik judokas won two medals. This became a signal for further investments in infrastructure, athlete training, and system development.
Since 2023, Dushanbe has regularly hosted stages of the IJF World Tour. The Grand Prix tournament was upgraded to the level of Grand Slam, and hosting the Junior World Championships in 2024 finally confirmed the country’s high organizational level.
Assessment of the world judo community
IJF President Marius Vizer emphasized that holding the Masters in Dushanbe reflects both the rise in the level of Tajik judo and the strategy of expanding the sport’s geography. According to him, the tournament will not only be a venue for the highest competition but also a source of inspiration for a new generation of athletes.
For Tajik judo, this is not just a tournament, but an opportunity to declare itself at the highest level. Previously, representatives of the country have already achieved success at the Masters — Temur Rakhimov (+100 kg) and Behrouz Khojazoda (73 kg) became silver medalists of these competitions.
Now the new generation has the chance to continue this history at home, in front of their fans.
