The International Judo Federation (IJF) has concluded its poll for the best judoka of the year, with Olympic and World Champion Hidayat Heydarov earning a spot in the prestigious top three.
Heydarov surpassed notable competitors such as Hifumi Abe and Takanori Nagase (both from Japan), French judo legend Teddy Riner, and his Azerbaijani teammate Zelym Kotsoiev, Idman.biz reports.
The top three also include Lasha Bekauri (Georgia) and Eldos Smetov (Kazakhstan).
The winners of the annual judo awards will receive their honors during the Grand Slam tournament scheduled to take place in Paris on February 1-2.
Idman.biz
