The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Team Bahamas opened competition with its first pair of judokas on day one as the country hosts the World Junior Judo Championships.

Jasmine Russell and Jevon Bethel were the first to take to the mat but faced quick eliminations in the preliminary round of their respective divisions at the Atlantis Resort’s Imperial Ballroom yesterday.

In the -44kg category, Russell was defeated by Gamze Sayma of Turkey in Pool B at the 3:331 mark in round 1. Chihiro Todokoro of Japan won Pool B when she defeated Sayma in the next round. Todokoro would go on to win gold after defeating silver medal winning Oumaima Bedioui of Tunisia.

In Pool D of the -60kg category, Bethel was defeated by Samet Kumtas in the first round. Kumtas advanced to the Pool D final where he was eliminated by Renan Torres of Brazil.

Genki Koga of Japan won the gold medal while his teammate Seishiro Konishi claimed the silver.

Five members of Team Bahamas will compete today across three divisions.

Desmond Bootle and Davante Sweeting are slated to contest the – 66kg weight class.

In Pool A, Sweeting will face Cristian Vargas of Colombia while Bootle will face Andres Pariche of Venezuela in Pool D.

Andrew Munnings and Dre Hall compete in the -73kg.

Hall is scheduled to take on Ayton Siquir of Mozambique in Pool C.

And in Pool A, Hall will await the winner of the match between Victor Sterpu of Moldova and Din Yaacov Gemer of Israel.

Mya Beneby will be the lone Bahamian competitor in the -57kg division and will face Sarah Cysique of France in Pool B.

The event features 492 registered judokas from 79 countries around the world. Preliminary sessions begin at 11am, through Sunday.

Daily award ceremonies and the final block begin at 4pm. Tickets for each session is priced at $20 per person.