Kazakhstan wins first-ever mixed team gold at World Cadet Judo Championships

The championships were held in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Kazakhstan’s boys’ team finished first in the team standings, while the girls’ team placed second. The tournament also saw Fatima Supygalieva make history as the first Kazakhstani female cadet judoka to win a world championship title.

The ministry said the results reflect a systematic approach to athlete development implemented jointly with the Kazakhstan Judo Federation and the Zhenis club. Following the 2024 Paris Olympics, the ministry began updating its approach to national-team preparation, with Kazakhstani coaches working closely with leading international specialists, including Ezio Gamba’s team.

The cadet, junior and senior national teams are now being brought together under a unified training methodology designed to ensure a smoother progression between age categories.

We are building one vertical: cadets - juniors - the national team - the Olympic Games, said Minister of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan Yerbol Myrzabosynov.

“When an athlete moves from one age category to another, they should not have to start their preparation from scratch. They continue working within a single model, with common requirements, scientific support and a clear development path,” he added.

Myrzabosynov described Kazakhstan’s team gold and its record haul of 10 individual medals as evidence that the new system is producing results.

The team gold and a record ten medals in individual competitions are concrete confirmation that the new system is working. Our task now is to consistently scale this experience to other sports, the minister said.

The unified training model includes scientific analysis of training, functional diagnostics, individualized workloads, sports medicine, recovery programs and continuous monitoring of each athlete’s progress. The National University of Sport is expected to play an important role by providing national teams with scientific and analytical support.

Similar methods are being introduced in fencing, boxing, wrestling and other sports, with the participation of leading Kazakhstani and foreign specialists.

The team title capped a record-breaking performance by Kazakhstan’s judokas in the individual events. The country won 10 medals, including three gold, three silver and four bronze, at the championships.

Earlier, Qazinform reported XDS Astana’s rider Mike Teunissen had finished fourth in the General Classification at Renewi Tour.