International Judo Federation (IJF) has revised its rankings following the Grand Slam event in Kazakhstan.

Although the Azerbaijani men's team did not compete in the tournament, their athletes have successfully retained their spots in the world standings.

Olympic gold medalists Hidayat Heydarov (73 kg) and Zelym Kotsoiev (100 kg) continue to dominate their respective weight classes confidently. Eljan Hajiyev (90 kg) remains in sixth place.

Zelim Tckaev (81 kg) and Rashid Mammadaliyev (73 kg) are both ranked seventh, while other Azerbaijani judokas are outside the top ten. Notably, Balabay Agayev (60 kg) is in 11th position, and Ushangi Kokauri (+100 kg) is 12th.

Founded in 1972, the Azerbaijan Judo Federation actively promotes this martial art across the country. Since 2015, the Federation has been led by Rovnag Abdullayev.

The country's modern judo history was laid by Mehman Azizov, who won a silver medal at the Old World Championship in 1998.

A year later, the winner of the World Youth Games in Moscow, Rasul Salimov, grabbed the bronze medal at the European Championship in Slovakia. Another national judoka, Elchin Ismayilov, became the European champion in 2000 in Wroclaw.

However, the achievements of Azerbaijani judo fighters did not stop there. Elnur Mammadli was named the best at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 73 kg division.

The list of the country's top judo fighters includes Rustam Orujov, ?rina Kindzerskaya, Mammadali Mehdiyev, Elmar Gasimov, Hidayat Heydarov, Zelim Kotsoev, Ushangi Kokauri, and Nijat Shikhalizada.

At the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, judokas Hidayat Heydarov (73 kg) and Zelym Kotsoiev (100 kg) earned gold medals for Azerbaijan.