Japan Takes Home the Gold in Mixed Team Judo at UAE Championships

In Abu Dhabi, Japan continued their dominance in the mixed team judo event, securing their seventh consecutive gold medal since 2017. The tournament featured teams with three men and three women each. In the final against France, a young Japanese team saw Kanta Nakano secure a win in the men’s over-90-kilogram division while Ryuga Tanaka won in the men’s 70-kg category, helping their team establish a 3-1 lead. Komei Kawabata then sealed the win in the fifth bout with a shoulder throw resulting in a combined ippon.

Prior to the mixed teams event, Japan had won three gold medals in individual events through Ryoma Tanaka, Goki Tajima, and Wakaba Tomita. Despite their success, only one judoka heading to the Paris Olympics, Ryuju Nagayama, competed for Japan in the championships hosted in the United Arab Emirates. Nagayama did not advance past the round of 32 in the 60-kg division.