Azerbaijan lead ahead of France and Croatia but there is a total of eight nations with gold medals already and so any nation can step up on the last day. Most pleasing is that among these delegations are gold medallists from Morocco and Bahrain, two nations not used to hearing their anthem.
Hassan Doukkali’s performance today in a field that included world and Olympic medallists, is more than newsworthy. Morocco and the continent of Africa can be proud of the progress being made throughout the region.
Judo is a sport that reaches all around the world, inspiring each new generation to live well, to contribute to society. On all continents, amazing work is being done in clubs, among national teams and then together in competitions and training camps. Diversity, inclusion and equity continue to be among the goals of the International Judo Federation. The trajectory is positive and the future is bright!