Čebulj Delivers Five Ippons in Maribor Home Triumph

Maks Čebulj gave the home crowd a memorable Judo performance at the Maribor 'Millennium Team' Cadet European Cup 2026, winning the –81 kg category with five Ippons. The Slovenian judoka’s gold was part of a strong final day for the hosts at Lukna Sports Hall.

The tournament concluded on Sunday, 25 October, following two days of competition featuring 433 judoka from 26 nations. Slovenia collected three gold, two silver and two bronze medals on Sunday, adding to Nuša Samec’s silver from Saturday.

That left Slovenia level at the top of the medal table with Serbia. Both nations finished with three gold, three silver and two bronze medals, while Hungary placed third with three gold, one silver and three bronze.

Čebulj had already won gold at the Rome 'Millennium Team' Cadet European Cup earlier this season, but his Maribor run carried extra meaning. Competing in front of family and friends, he won each of his five contests by Ippon.

His route to the final included victories against opponents from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary and Serbia, followed by a semi-final win over a Ukrainian judoka. In the gold-medal contest, Čebulj faced Hungary’s Zalán Bono and again finished the contest by Ippon.

Five contests, five Ippons, and a gold medal on home soil.

Čebulj said his third and fourth contests were the toughest, as he came up against confident opponents. By the final, however, he felt more relaxed.

The Slovenian described the experience of winning at home as phenomenal. For Čebulj, the result added another Cadet European Cup gold to his season—and gave Maribor supporters a standout final-day moment.

Source: EJU.net

Image source: EJU / European Judo Union