Kyrgyz judoka Erlan Sherov achieved victory at the Open European Judo Cup held in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, from February 14 to 15, 2026. This was reported by the State Agency for Physical Culture and Sports.
513 athletes from 45 countries participated in the tournament.
In the weight category up to 90 kg, Sherov confidently progressed through the tournament bracket, skipping the first round at the draw stage.
In the 1/16 finals, he defeated Belgian Karl Fubart, then in the 1/8 finals, he beat Lithuanian Augustas Slizerynas. In the quarterfinals, the Kyrgyz athlete was stronger than Frenchman Eniel Kérol, and in the semifinals, he overcame Egyptian Abdallah Abdelsameh.
In the final match for the gold medal, Sherov defeated Russian David Karapetyan and won the title of tournament champion.
Three judokas represented Kyrgyzstan at these competitions: Erlan Sherov (up to 90 kg), Erbol Abasbekov, and Khanbolot Yrysbekov (both up to 66 kg). The head coaches of the team are Erkin Ibragimov and senior coach Azat Kubakaev.
