Khazar Heydarov Delivers for Ukraine in a Crowded Cadet -60 kg Battle

Khazar Heydarov was the standout name in the Cadet European Championships -60 kg contest in Gran Canaria. In the biggest field of the opening day, the Ukrainian carried heavy expectations and a strong record into one of the most competitive brackets on the tatami.

A total of 35 judoka entered the category, all chasing the same goal: to leave Gran Canaria as Cadet European Champion. By the end of a packed and intense day, the final had narrowed that dream to two athletes and two national storylines. It meant either a first-ever Ukrainian gold in this weight category or a second title for Türkiye.

On one side stood Heydarov, the top seed and clear favourite on paper. He arrived as world number seven, backed by five Cadet European Cup titles and the kind of consistency that made him the athlete everyone was watching. In a category this deep, that status can bring pressure as much as confidence.

Across from him was Ramazan Aykut Gur of Türkiye. Ranked 26th in the world, he came into the championships with a shorter list of results, but his run through the day had already turned heads. Whatever the rankings suggested before the draw, Gur had earned his place in the final through a sensational performance.

That contrast gave the matchup its edge. Heydarov had the numbers, the seeding and the expectation. Gur had momentum and the chance to upset the script in one of the busiest divisions of the event.

For Heydarov, there was also another layer to the story. His surname already carries serious weight in European judo. Hidayat Heydarov of Azerbaijan built a major reputation by winning Cadet European Championship gold at -60 kg in 2013 and then another title at -66 kg in 2014, before going on to become an Olympic, world and European champion.

That history did not decide anything on the tatami in Gran Canaria, but it added emotion to the moment. Khazar Heydarov arrived with his own path, his own ranking and his own results, yet the family name naturally brought extra attention. In youth judo, where promise and pressure often collide, that can be part of the challenge.

What stood out most in this category was how much was on the line from the start. A 35-athlete field left no room for hesitation, and reaching the final meant surviving one of the hardest routes on the opening day. For Ukraine, the occasion carried even more significance with the possibility of a first title in the category.

The -60 kg division was the largest field of the opening day.

In the end, the story around Heydarov was about expectation meeting opportunity in Cadet European judo. Gran Canaria offered a stage full of pressure, history and ambition, and the Ukrainian was right at the centre of it.

Source: EJU.net