Supygaliyeva makes history with Kazakhstan’s 1st women’s judo gold
Sixteen‑year‑old Kazakh judoka Fatima Supygalieva has won gold at the Guayaquil World Championships Cadets Individuals 2026 in Ecuador, becoming the first female athlete in Kazakhstan’s history to claim a world title in judo, Qazinform News Agency reports citing the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
Competing in the 52 kg weight division, Supygalieva advanced to the final against Ukraine’s Kseniia Kyrylchuk and secured victory in golden score with an ippon.
Supygalieva’s triumph marks a historic milestone for Kazakh women’s judo, as no female representative had previously won a world championship.
Team Kazakhstan added three more medals on the second day of competition: Inzhu Zhumazhan took silver in the 57 kg category, while Erik Usenov (66 kg) and Bekali Yerken (73 kg) each claimed bronze.
After two days, Kazakhstan leads the overall medal count with two gold, three silver, and four bronze medals.
The championship brought together 457 athletes from 59 countries and will conclude on August 23.
Earlier, Kazakhstan named judo squad for 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.