Guayaquil is hosting the 2026 World Cadet Judo Championships, the leading international event in the age category organised by the International Judo Federation -IJF-. A total of 457 athletes from 59 countries and five continents are competing at the Voltaire Paladines Polo Coliseum: 245 male and 212 female judoka. The tournament began on Thursday and will conclude on Sunday in Ecuador.
The individual competition comprises 16 weight categories, eight men’s and eight women’s, which will be completed by Saturday. A separate mixed team competition will take place on Sunday with 166 registered judoka —85 male and 81 female— from 12 countries across three continents. Its programme includes six divisions and will begin with the preliminary rounds before the final block. The individual draws, results and contests are available through ‘JudoTV’, the IJF’s streaming platform.
Guayaquil returns as host
The Ecuadorian city previously staged the 2022 World Junior Championships, which brought together 373 athletes from 63 countries. The cadet edition features 84 more judoka, although four fewer nations are represented. Lisa Allan, the IJF Secretary General, described the championships as the second World Judo Tour event held in the country and thanked the host federation for its work in welcoming the international judo community once again.
The opening ceremony combined institutional addresses with a performance showcasing Ecuadorian culture, rhythms and traditions. The Minister of Education, Sport and Culture, Gilda Alcívar García, highlighted the presence of 20 judoka in the host delegation. “For us, hosting this championship is much more than organising a competition. It is a demonstration that Ecuador is ready for great things,” she said. IJF Vice-President and Panamerican Judo Confederation President Carlos Zegarra Presser placed the event’s importance beyond the host country and underlined its role in the development of young judoka across the region.
Organisation and local support
The draw was held on Wednesday at the Oro Verde Hotel and conducted by IJF Sport Director Hedvig Karakas. IJF Referee Director Tina Trstenjak, Ecuadorian Judo Federation President Israel Verdugo, and representatives of the government and local organising committee also attended. The refereeing operation comprises 12 referees, three supervisors and all three IJF refereeing directors. Trstenjak said the structure was intended to ensure “consistency and high-quality refereeing” following the work carried out at the Lima Grand Prix the previous week.
The organisation is also supported by Ecuadorian companies with direct links to the sport. Roberto Danin, a federation board member and founder of Baterias Dacar, and his brother Carlos Danin, who runs Fundametz Industria Metalúrgica, both represented the national judo team and have financed projects, travel and scholarships for judoka. They also supported Ecuador’s delegation to the 2019 World Championships and the junior event held in Guayaquil in 2022. “We believe in the values of judo. It is a sport that helps to form people, to develop them. Promoting the values of judo in young people helps keep them out of danger, away from drug culture and other challenges in society. It’s part of the education system,” Roberto Danin explained.
The first champions
The opening six titles were divided among six countries. Iroda Sirojiddinova, representing Uzbekistan, won the women’s -40 kg category; Regina Akhtiamova, of Russia, prevailed at -44 kg; and Ella Bar Lev, of Israel, secured gold at -48 kg. In the men’s competition, Farid Rzazade, of Azerbaijan, won at -50 kg; Sebastian Teran, representing the USA, took the -55 kg title; and Rassulkhan Gabit, of Kazakhstan, triumphed at -60 kg. Sirojiddinova and Teran confirmed their positions as top seeds, while other favourites, including Arthur Bonato and Aurora Ferro, finished outside the medals.
“We prepared up until this moment, and now we are seeing the fruit of all our hard work and training here on this tatami,” Sirojiddinova said after winning the title. Teran described his performance as “big progression from last year” and spoke of the emotion of hearing the USA anthem from the top of the podium. The remaining ten individual categories will be decided on Friday and Saturday before the mixed team competition begins on Sunday.
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