Judo
Havana, Mar 20 (JIT) - The three Cubans participating in the world tour of the International Judo Federation (IJF) will reappear in the Grand Slam of Tbilisi 2025 this weekend.
Coming from a preparation base in Nymburk, Czech Republic, Maylín del Toro (63 kg), Jonathan Charón (60 kg), and Iván Silva (100 kg) will see action.
Charón will take the tatami on the same starting day, this Friday, and after being left free in the first round, he will wait for an opponent between the local Nika Khuzaurashvili and the Azeri Huseyn Allahyarov, both with a modest trajectory in the international circuit.
In a hypothetical fight to advance to the semifinals, he could meet Mongolian Ariunbold Enkhtaivan, world runner-up in Tashkent 2022, who is leading the pool C.
Also entered in the competition is Paris 2024 Olympic runner-up Luka Mkheidze of France.
Maylin will compete on Saturday and will have a very difficult first fight against the current world runner-up, the Polish Angelika Szymanska.
The Santiago native competes in the largest division of the event in the women's division, which has 34 contenders, among which stand out the reigning world champion and first in the IJF ranking, the Dutch Joanne Van Lieshout; and the several times queen of the world and French Olympic champion Clarisse Agbegnenou.
Silva, who has the best chances of reaching the podium for the largest of the Antilles, is scheduled to appear on Sunday.
He will make his debut against the young Mongolian Khuderchuluun Bayartsengel in the key C that leads the Brazilian Leonardo Goncalves, fifth in the IJF ranking for the division.
Among others, the Russian Arman Adamian, universal champion in Doha 2023 and seventh in the world ranking; and the local Ilia Sulamanidze, silver medalist in the Olympic Games of Paris 2024 and fourth in the IJF ranking.
Silva has won prizes in all his appearances in the current international circuit, in her new 100 kg category. The best performance resulted in the crown achieved at the Upper Austria Judo Grand Prix 2025 two weeks ago.
In the Tbilisi event, 385 competitors from 52 nations will take part, Cuba was among the top 10 countries in the last two competitions it participated in: tenth place in the Tashkent Judo Grand Slam 2025 and ninth in the Austrian Grand Prix.
