Top Judo Athletes Honored in Chelyabinsk at Grand Ceremony

A brilliant finale to the 2025 sports season. For the first time in Chelyabinsk, an event of such scale took place, gathering the most titled and famous stars of this intelligent and spectacular combat sport. The heroes of the evening were Olympic gold medalists, world and European champions, leaders of the Russian national team, renowned coaches, and veterans of South Ural judo. Loud ovations were heard for the women«s team »KONAR« — the first in Chelyabinsk sports history to win the Continental Judo League. At the event, significant decisions for the Judo Federation were also officially announced. What they are — read in the article.

The Price of a Moment — Victory

2025 was a truly triumphant year for Chelyabinsk judo. Athletes won 235 medals at all-Russian and international tournaments — 29 of them on the world stage. Their haul includes medals from the European Team Championships, European and Asian Cups, «Grand Slam» tournaments, Russian Judo Tour, and other prestigious competitions.

Regional head Alexey Teksler and his wife, chair of the board of trustees of the Chelyabinsk Regional Public Organization «Judo Federation» Irina Teksler, admitted that they personally know the athletes, follow their performances, and thus the celebration is almost a family affair.

— I am glad to see talented athletes and their mentors in the hall, bright, gifted people for whom judo has become a lifelong pursuit and who have done much for its development. Meetings in this format should become a tradition, because it is here, in the unity of generations, that future victories are born, — emphasized the governor.

Alexey Teksler presented the certificate and badge of «Master of Sports of International Class» to Irina Zueva — a leading judoka of the country and one of the leaders of the «KONAR» team. The title «Master of Sports of Russia» was awarded to Polina Zhulanova and Elena Shmanina — medalists of the Chelyabinsk Region and Ural Federal District championships.

Historic Moment

In June 2025, Valery Bondarenko, general director of PG «KONAR», was unanimously elected as president of the Chelyabinsk Region Judo Federation. He stated that the philosophy of judo is close to him, and the main task is to unite everyone involved in this sport into one team, creating conditions to achieve even greater success.

— We are not just supporting sports — we are building an ecosystem where every young judoka sees a path from the first belt to the Olympic podium. The minimum program is to have the greatest number of Chelyabinsk athletes included in the Russian Federation national team, where they could bring medals for the Chelyabinsk Region, — noted Valery Bondarenko, recalling how he made the decision to create the first women«s judo team in the region»s history.

Just a few months later, the «KONAR» team won first place in the Continental Judo League. The debutants of the international tournament managed to take the honorary trophy on their first attempt. The winners were six athletes from the Chelyabinsk Region.

— Before the decisive start, the federation president addressed us: «Your victory is the victory of the Chelyabinsk Region.» And we were focused on the fight, and when we took the cup, we were incredibly happy. We let no one down and showed a worthy result, — said team captain Sabina Gilyazova.

Impressive Outfits and Stylish Gifts

From the first minutes, it was clear: this event goes beyond the usual sports celebrations. Judokas stood out not only with brilliant throws and holds, which were broadcast on huge screens, but also with stunning outfits. On the eve of the event, current athletes participated in a festive photo shoot.

The gala dinner following the sports year — a social reception and bright images from the photo shoot.

According to the judokas, the podium is, of course, more comfortable than the catwalk. After all, they are used to being in the spotlight on the tatami. And many found themselves at such a reception for the first time.

The «KONAR» team was the triumph of the evening. The girls were congratulated by sports officials, team partners, and even the management of the hockey club «Traktor». It turned out that the judokas are devoted fans of the black-and-whites.

Athletes and their mentors were awarded in various categories:
«Rookie of the Year» — Anastasia Bykova;
«Audience Choice Award» — Viktoria Likhacheva;
«Most Spectacular Match» — Anastasia Kholodilina;
«Ippon of the Year» — Irina Zueva;
«Mentor of the Year» — Ivan Pershin and Andrey Vostrikov;
«Number One» — Sabina Gilyazova;
«Hero of the Year» — Denis Batchaev;
«Miss Judo» — Eva Ognivova;
«Mr. Judo» — Egor Malkin;
«For Devotion to Judo» — Dmitry Chernykh;
«Legendary Coach» — Alexander Miller.

The title «Our Pride» was awarded to 2012 Olympic champion Mansur Isaev, who has already ended his professional career:

— This is truly a grand ball of champions, where guests were able to meet each other after many years, to communicate in an informal setting, — he said. — It«s nice to see so many familiar people who accompanied me throughout my career. It»s great that such an event was organized, which honors not only current champions but also stars of the past. Our common achievement is that Chelyabinsk judo is the strongest in the country.

Judo — A Brand of the Region

Victories on all-Russian and international arenas, famous trainees, traditions of the coaching school — South Ural judo has remained one of the hallmarks of the region for five decades. Among the stars of the tatami are Kharis Yusupov, Grigory Verichev, Viktor Betanov, Anatoly Semyonov, Valery Dvoinikov, Gennady Ivshin, Svetlana Gundarenko, Yuri Stepkin, Lasha Pipia, Vitaly Makarov, Dmitry Morozov, Ivan Pershin, Renat Saidov, Mansur Isaev, Kirill Denisov, Denis Yartsev.

The Southern Urals is not just a participant but a trendsetter in Russian judo. It was in Chelyabinsk in 2004 that the first Olympic Training Center for Judo in Russia opened, which now bears the name of the legendary coach Alexander Yevgenyevich Miller.

— Over its history, the Chelyabinsk judo school has shown amazing results. More than 600 masters of sports have been trained, 48 of them of international class. And with each competition, champions become more numerous. And in the judo center, new names continue to emerge, — said Alexander Miller. — Victories are not only the talent of athletes. Success is possible when there is a strong team, a high level of coaching staff, and a modern material base. In Chelyabinsk, all this works at full capacity.

Sports Intrigue

The Continental Judo League is the flagship team tournament, which enjoys the greatest popularity among female athletes and fans. Now it is official: following the girls, Chelyabinsk wrestlers will also join the fight.

— When I made the decision to create a team, I had no doubt that initially it should be female, — I was one hundred percent confident in the success of our judokas. For candidates for the men«s national team, it was necessary to take a closer look first. And now I am ready to announce the creation of the men»s team «KONAR». Its core has been formed, we shook hands. The lineup currently has eight people, all — Chelyabinsk athletes, all confirmed their readiness to compete in the Continental Judo League for the club «KONAR». Today I saw that some of them have already taken photos with the cup — for luck, — stated Valery Bondarenko, president of the Chelyabinsk Region Judo Federation.

Chelyabinsk Region will be represented by Rufat Aleskerov, Ivan Syrtsev, Idibek Safarov, Rizvan Magamadov, Klim Kalinin, Egor Malkin (silver medalist of the Russian and World Junior Championships), Askhab Khasmurzadov, Andrey Pavlyukov (medalist of the Russian Championship).

— Our guys brightly and expressively declare themselves at the most prestigious competitions, occupying victorious steps of the podium. Therefore, participation in the Continental League is a great joy, pride, and honor, — believes Yuri Stepkin, vice-president of the Chelyabinsk Region Judo Federation.

Moreover, Boris Vidgof, president of the BOVD group of companies, announced that his company is becoming the official partner of the Chelyabinsk Region Judo Federation, and is also taking on the sports support of Eva Ognivova, winner of the European Cup for juniors under 21, with the payment of a personal scholarship.

Team and Traditions

The Judo Federation admits that for the coming years, the Chelyabinsk Region has grand plans. And they cover everything: from children«s sections to large-scale all-Russian projects.

— There are indeed many ideas. Already today, initiatives such as «My First Belt» and «Family of Champions» are being actively implemented in the region. These projects lay the foundation for future national teams, educating not only athletes but also a culture of respect, discipline, and honor, — is confident Kirill Denisov, sports director of the Russian Judo Federation.

One of the most significant events in the 2025 Russian judo calendar was the «Battle of Cities» project with a prize fund of over two hundred million rubles (approximately $2.2 million at current rates), which gathered teams from across the country.