Abiba Abuzhakynova becomes two-time Asian Games silver medalist
Kazakhstan has won its first judo medal at the 20th Summer Asian Games in Japan, with Abiba Abuzhakynova taking silver in the women’s 48 kg event, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing the Sports Development Directorate under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
In the final, the multiple world championship medalist faced Japan’s Mitsuki Kondo in a closely contested bout, with the Japanese judoka ultimately securing the victory and Abuzhakynova taking silver.
The silver marks Abuzhakynova’s second runner-up finish at the Asian Games, following her silver-medal performance in the 48 kg event in Hangzhou in 2023.
Abuzhakynova also became only the second Kazakh female judoka to reach an Asian Games final, following Varvara Massyagina, who won silver in Bangkok in 1998.
On her way to the final in Nagoya, Abuzhakynova defeated India’s Asmita Dey and Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chen-Hao.
Kazakhstan’s medal tally at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games now stands at nine gold and 15 silver medals.
Earlier, Kazakh boxers Alua Balkibekova, Natalia Bogdanova, and Makhmud Sabyrkhan claimed bronze medals in their respective weight categories at the Asian Games.