Kollár Sebestyén Leaves Paks With Silver, but the Final Still Hurts

Kollár Sebestyén was one of the main home stories on the opening day of the Paks Junior European Cup 2026. In the men’s -66 kg category, the Hungarian reached the final in front of the local crowd and finished with silver after a painful late turn in the gold medal contest.

The first day in Paks decided medals in the men’s -60 kg, -66 kg and -73 kg divisions, as well as the women’s -63 kg, -70 kg, -78 kg and +78 kg categories. Russia ended the day on top of the medal table with five gold, four silver and six bronze medals. The United States stood second with one gold and one silver, while the Netherlands took one gold.

For Hungary, there was still reason to celebrate even without a title on day one. The hosts claimed one silver and one bronze, and Kollár delivered one of the standout performances of the day for the home team.

Representing Ippon Judo Tatabánya Sport Club, Kollár fought his way through to the final before meeting Russia’s Islam Sultygov. It was a fiercely contested match, and the Hungarian appeared to control long stretches of the bout. But in the closing stages, the final changed direction in groundwork, where Sultygov managed to hold him down and deny the home athlete the gold.

A strong final display ended in one decisive moment on the ground.

The result left Kollár visibly disappointed. Just after coming off the podium, he admitted that the silver did not feel like a success yet, but more like a gold that slipped away.

He said he still could not fully explain how the hold-down happened at the end. From his perspective, he had been applying pressure and staying in command, only for the situation to turn suddenly in groundwork. He also felt that this kind of finish should not happen when he was in the dominant position, and said he would need to review it carefully with his coach.

That reaction says a lot about the level he expects from himself. Even in defeat, Kollár spoke like an athlete already thinking about the next correction, the next detail, and the next chance to turn a final in his favour.

He also felt confident in the standing exchanges during the match. According to Kollár, his movement was good, his grips were working, and he believed he could probably have managed the contest on his feet. Instead, the gold medal was decided elsewhere.

Silver in Paks keeps a remarkably steady Junior European Cup season going.

As tough as the final felt, the bigger picture remains impressive. This was Kollár’s third Junior European Cup of the season, and he has now reached the podium in all three appearances. His 2026 campaign so far includes two silver medals and one bronze, a run that underlines both consistency and real medal potential.

That is why the frustration in Paks feels so understandable. This was not just another podium finish. For Kollár, it was a match where gold seemed close, and that is exactly what makes the silver medal so hard to accept in the moment.

Source: EJU.net

Image source: EJU / European Judo Union