Ioane Abalakhi became the world champion among cadets in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. In the +90 kg final, he defeated Japan’s Kaito Tokita in golden score. In the opening round, Abalakhi overcame a Dutch judoka, then went on to defeat Russian, Uzbek, and Czech opponents to reach the final.

The 17-year-old Abalakhi had already won a bronze medal earlier this year at the Cadet European Championships. He is a product of the Gori judo club “Gorijvari,” coached by Malkhaz Avazneli.

In the same weight category, Giorgi Karchaidze won a bronze medal. His only loss came in the semifinal against the Japanese judoka, repeating the result he achieved at the European Championships.

At the World Championships in Sofia, the Georgian team won a total of 1 gold, 1 silver, and 4 bronze medals. The silver medal in the -81 kg category was claimed by Giorgi Mumladze. Bronze medals were earned by Vasil Gamezardashvili, Giorgi Zurabashvili, and Keti Robakidze.