ABU DHABI — Morocco's Hassan Doukkali won the men's -73kg title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam on October 30, reportedly the country's first gold at Grand Slam level, according to Euronews.
The 24-year-old beat Tajikistan's Masudi Ahmadzod in the final. A single yuko, scored after a feint, decided the contest, according to reports of the bout.
A first for Moroccan judo
Euronews reported that the result was Morocco's first gold at Grand Slam level, citing information from the International Judo Federation (IJF). JudoInside, which reported the result independently, also described the victory as a breakthrough for Doukkali.
Doukkali had no World Tour medal before the Abu Dhabi event, according to JudoInside. He was seeded sixth.
The road to the final
On the way to the final, JudoInside reported, Doukkali beat Romanian, French, Georgian and Russian opponents. None of the top four seeds reached the final block of the competition, the outlet said.
The title adds to a record that already included gold at the African championships in 2025, according to JudoInside. He also finished seventh at the 2022 Junior World Championships.
Other winners in Abu Dhabi
Doukkali was not the only champion on the day. Poland's Angelika Szymanska won at -63kg, Portugal's Tais Pina at -70kg and Moldova's Petru Pelivan at -81kg, Yahoo Sports and the IJF reported. Yahoo Sports described the day as bringing historic first Grand Slam titles for both Morocco and Moldova.
