Israel Withdraws Team Judo Squad from World Championships Due to Injuries

The Israeli national judo team will not compete in the team event at the upcoming World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, due to multiple athlete injuries. The team was already registered for the competition, which takes place on the final day of the championships starting October 4th. The primary reason for the withdrawal is a knee injury sustained by Yuli Alma MISHINER (over 78 kg), who will miss her second consecutive competition. Her absence significantly weakens the team in the heavier weight classes, making participation in the team event unfeasible.

Adding to the team's challenges, Maya KOGAN (under 70 kg) is also dealing with a more serious knee injury and will be sidelined for the foreseeable future. Furthermore, Inbar LANIR (under 78 kg) and Gili SHARIR (under 63 kg) are both recovering from surgeries, Lanir on her shoulder and Sharir on her knee, and will not participate in the championships.

Despite these setbacks, eleven individual Israeli judokas are still slated to compete in the individual events. These athletes include Gefen PRIMO (under 52 kg), Tamiaka NELSON LEVY (under 57 kg), Inbal SHEMESH (under 57 kg), Yitzhak ASHPIZ (under 60 kg), Kerem PRIMO (under 63 kg), Maya GOSHEN (under 70 kg), Ohad MORITZ (under 73 kg), Yonathan ELBAZ (under 73 kg), Raz HERSHKO (over 78 kg), Roy SIVAN (under 90 kg), and Yosef SIMIN (under 100 kg). The World Championships will feature 640 judokas from 97 countries.