
AKIPRESS.COM - The Grand Prix Portugal 2024 was held in Odivelas, Portugal, on January 26-28, 2024. 624 judokas from 90 countries competed, setting a record for the Grand Prix tournament, Montsame reports.
14 Mongolian judokas competed in the Grand Prix, securing two bronze medals. Honored Athlete of Mongolia Enkhriilen Lkhagvatogoo was unable to participate in the tournament despite entering the draw due to unforeseen reasons, and International Master of Sports Sosorbaram Lkhagvasuren had to miss the tournament due to a minor injury sustained during joint training.
In the Grand Prix Portugal 2024 Pool C –48kg category, Narantsetseg Ganbaatar emerged victorious against Malca Tamar (ISR) and Lasso Erika (COL). However, she lost to Yoshioka Hikari from Japan, a Two-Time World Champion and Gold Medalist of the Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam 2023. Then, Narantsetseg beat down prominent Serbian Judoka Stojadinov Andrea, a Gold Medalist of Tashkent Grand Slam 2023, earning two waza-aris. In the bronze medal match, G. Narantsetseg took the lead in the match against Su Song Jon from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
International Master of Sports Gonchigsuren Batkhuyag won the first two matches in the men's Pool C -100 kg category by default and secured the pool lead by beating Udsilauri George from Germany. In the quarter-final, he lost to Nikoloz Sherazadishvili (ESP), a Two-Time World Champion and Four-Time Gold Medalist of the Grand Slam. However, Gonchigsuren rebounded in the repechage, securing victory against Kroussaniotakis Georgios from Cyprus, and later defeating Green Kaito from Japan to clinch the bronze medal. B. Gonchigsuren secured his second medal in the Grand Prix competition. In the previous year, he grabbed a bronze medal at the 2023 Judo Grand Prix Dushanbe.
The next tournament for Mongolian judokas is the Paris Grand Slam 2024, scheduled to commence on February 3, 2024.