UAE's Bishrel Khurudi wins bronze at Ulaanbaatar judo grand slam

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UAE’s Bishrel Khurudi wins bronze at Ulaanbaatar judo grand slam

June 20, 2026

ULAANBAATAR,— UAE judoka Bishrel Khurudi captured a bronze medal in the women’s under-52 kg division at the Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam 2026 in Mongolia’s capital, where 454 athletes from 58 countries competed, the state-run news agency reported.

Khurudi secured third place after defeating Spain’s Torro Soler in the bronze-medal match.

Her route to the podium included victories over competitors from South Korea and Mongolia before she was stopped in the semifinal by Japan’s Uta Abe, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion.

Abe later claimed the gold medal in the category.

Khurudi, also known by her birth name Bishrelt Khorloodoi, was born in Mongolia and began her judo career representing her home country, earning podium finishes at several Grand Prix and Grand Slam events before later switching her allegiance.

In 2023, after gaining UAE citizenship, she officially changed her international sporting allegiance and now competes for the UAE in the under 52 kg weight class.

The medal added to the UAE team’s results at the international tournament as the delegation prepared for the final day of competition.

The UAE squad is scheduled to complete its participation on Saturday with contests in the heavier weight divisions. In the women’s under-78 kg category, Eliza Letif will compete against the winner of the bout between Serbia’s Melik Azabek and Austria’s Elena Dengg.

In the men’s events, Aram Grigorian will face Italy’s Christian Parlati in the under-90 kg class. Zafar Kostoev is set to meet Croatia’s Zlatko Kumric in the under-100 kg division.

In the over-100 kg category, Omar Maroof will take on Türkiye’s Ertugrul Munir.

The bronze-medal performance was described as another encouraging result for UAE judo on the international circuit and provided momentum heading into the tournament’s concluding day.

(With files from WAM, Agencies)