DUSHANBE, 25.11.2019 (NIAT Khovar) – Tajik judoka Somon Mahmadbekov won the bronze medal at the Osaka Grand Slam 2019, which began on November 22 and ended on November 24 in Japan.

After beating the French Benjamin judoka Achus and Russian Evgeniy Prokopchuk, Mahmadbekov reached the quarter-final, at which stage he lost to the Japanese Masashi Ebinuma. Ebinuma ended up winning the gold medal.

Defeating Kazakh Zhansay Smagulov and Japanese Arata Tatsukawa, Mahmadbekov won bronze, improving his position in the World Olympic Ranking. With 2060 points, he is currently in 16th position in the 73kg weight category.

Along with the bronze medal Mahmadbekov will also recieve $1,500 and 500 points.

Over 485 athletes, including 276 men and 205 women, from 87 countries competed at the Osaka Grand Slam 2019.