On the third and final day, six categories were in contention in total, across J1 (blind) and J2 (visually impaired) sections. Three titles were decided via the round robin format in which every athlete fights everyone else in their category.
J2M -95 kg:
Five athletes, from four nations, competed for the light heavyweight J2 title. All contests were won with positive scores, all bar two by ippon, such was the approach of all of the judoka. All fought with the aim of delivering their best judo, fully engaged with this prestigious occasion and happy to be competing in such a special venue.
Medallists
GOLD Davurkhon Karomatov (UZB)
SILVER Zhanbota Amanzhol (KAZ)
BRONZE Yermek Nurkabayev (KAZ)
J1W +70 kg:
At the top of the sheet, Aliya Abdykalykova (KAZ) had an unexpectedly tough day and was unable to progress. Her teammate, Aktolkyn Seilbekova had a much better run and won all of her contests, three by ippon. This gave her a gold medal ahead of Korea’s Wonhee Noh.
Medallists
GOLD Aktolkyn Seilbekova (KAZ)
SILVER Wonhee Noh (KOR)
BRONZE Feruza Ergasheva (UZB)
J2W +70 kg:
The eventual gold medallist let her intentions be known from the very beginning of the day, registering ippon wins throughout the preliminary session. Zarina Raifova (KAZ) showed strength, skill and determination arc she moved through the rounds. Even Mokhinur Parmonova (UZB), the eventual silver medallist, had no answer for her powerful attacks and was also defeated by the maximum score.
Medallists
GOLD Zarina Raifova (KAZ)
SILVER Mokhinur Parmonova (UZB)
BRONZE Khabiba Djuraeva (UZB)
J1M +95 kg:
Ali Navaei (IRI) shocked the top seed of the category when he threw him for ippon in their semi-final contest after only 34 seconds of contest time. On the bottom half of the draw there was a similar story; Islomjon Tukhtaboev (UZB) dispatched second seed Baglanbek Onalbek in their semi-final, setting up an unexpected gold medal contest.
Medallists
GOLD Ali Navaei (IRI)
SILVER Islomjon Tukhtaboev (UZB)
BRONZE Baglanbek Onalbek (KAZ)
BRONZE Yerlan Utepov (KAZ)
J2M +95 kg:
Powerful throws were the name of the game in this fiercely contested category. Top seed Zhurkamyrza Shukurbekov (KAZ) arrived in great form and obeyed the ranking to reach the final. On the bottom half of the draw, things were less straightforward. Mohammadreza Kheirollahzadeh (IRI) eliminated the second seed, Talgat Azhgaliyev (KAZ), from the gold medal race, in their quarter-final. The unseeded Iranian then won the semi-final too, to join Shukurbekov in the final. On paper this should have been a simple prediction but Kheirollahzadeh had already shown that he is capable of interrupting the established order.
Zhurkamyrza Shukurbekov has a lot of experience and dealt with his opponent’s speed and power intelligently. He was active but patient and in the last 30 seconds of the fight finally found the space needed to unbalance Kheirollahzadeh. Throwing for a yuko, he left his opponent no time to equalise and as the time ticked away, he knew he had done enough.
Medallists
GOLD Zhurkamyrza Shukurbekov (KAZ)
SILVER Mohammadreza Kheirollahzadeh (IRI)
BRONZE Cheng-Min Huang (TPE)
BRONZE Amirhossein Nimrouzi Navokhi (IRI)
J2W -70 kg:
Kazusa Ogawa (JPN) was ready to give Japan an excellent finale at their home Asian Para Games. Outstanding ashi-waza became her trademark as the day progressed and one after another the opposition fell. However, in the final she met Yue Wang (CHN), a strong athlete with impressively fast forward throws. Wang avoided Ogawa’s sasae-tsuri-komi-ashi attacks and eventually turned in to throw for ippon, leaving the host nation with a silver medal as China claimed this gold.
Medallists
GOLD Yue Wang (CHN)
SILVER Kazusa Ogawa (JPN)
BRONZE Shuming Lin (CHN)
BRONZE Ayala Mereke (KAZ)
As the final awarding ceremony took place, it was clear that Kazakhstan had topped the medal table by winning five of the sixteen gold medals available. Pleasingly, twelve countries shared the medals, a show of diversity within the continent. Investment continues to impact the development of Para judo around the world and this Asian Para Games is a clear sign that growth in the sector is healthy.