Kazakhstani athletes win first-ever team title at Asian Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2026
Kazakhstan won the team title at the Asian Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2026 for the first time in history, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The prestigious tournament, organized by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), was held in Chiba, Japan, from July 8 to 12 and featured top athletes from 20 Asian countries.
The historic achievement was led by ARMJJ Martial Arts Academy from Astana, whose athletes captured five gold, two silver, and two bronze medals. The team claimed first place in the overall youth team standings, as well as the tournament's overall team trophy for the first time in Kazakhstan's history.
Founded in 2010 by Armanzhan Ruzakhunov, Kazakhstan's first Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, ARMJJ has grown into one of the country's leading martial arts academies, training more than 600 athletes, many of whom regularly compete internationally.
Ruzakhunov said the victory reflected years of dedication by the entire team.
This victory is the result of many years of systematic work by our entire team - our athletes, coaches, and parents. It is especially meaningful that Kazakhstan has become the winner of the IBJJF Asian Championship team standings for the first time in history. It is an important step in the development of Brazilian jiu-jitsu in Kazakhstan and proof that our athletes can successfully compete with the strongest representatives of Asia, he said.
ARMJJ athletes delivered several standout performances throughout the championship, with Kemal Ruzakhunov winning two gold medals - both in his weight division and the absolute division. Aknur Galym earned gold in her weight class and added a bronze medal in the absolute division.
Alima Zhumadeldinova and Linara Bezrukova both reached the finals of their respective weight classes and also advanced to the absolute division finals. Nursultan Nurgaliyev contributed a bronze medal with a third-place finish in his division.
The triumph at the Asian Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2026 represents the biggest achievement in ARMJJ's history and one of Kazakhstan's most significant international successes in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, confirming the high level of training of Kazakhstani athletes.
Earlier, Qazinform reported Kazakhstan wins 8 medals at the Asian Open judo tournament.
