Lebanese JudokateAqulina Chayebwon the bronze medal of under 78 kg at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan on Friday, October 2. The 22-year-old Lebanese girl won the Chinese Wu Hongtao in the third-place fight at the Aichi International Arena. This new podium extends a 2026 season already marked by his title at the European Open in Tallinn and his third place in Prague. His next appointment is near: the Senior World Championships are scheduled to start on October 4 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Aqulina Chayeb wins bronze in Nagoya
The Lebanese judo holds a new international medal. Engaged Friday in the women’s category under 78 kg, Aqulina Chayeb finished on the third step of the Asian Games 2026 podium.
The competition took place at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya. The less than 78 kg were included in the programme of the third day of the individual judo tests, with the male categories of less than 90 kg, less than 100 kg and more than 100 kg and the more than 78 kg among women.
Chayeb ended her day by dominant Chinese Wu Hongtao in the bronze fight. This victory allowed him to leave Japan with one of the two bronze medals awarded in his category.
The result takes on a particular dimension in a continental competition that brings together some of the world’s leading judo nations. Japan, a host country, but also South Korea, China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have athletes who are regularly present on the international circuit.
For Chayeb, this medal mainly confirms the progress observed during the year 2026 in the category of less than 78 kg.
A 2026 season marked by several podiums
Nagoya bronze is not an isolated result. Lebanese has accumulated several international performances in recent months.
On 6 June, she won the European Open in Tallinn, Estonia, in the category of less than 78 kg. She then finished ahead of the Croatian Betty Vuk, while French Fanny-Estelle Posvite and Croatian Karla Kulic took both bronze medals.
Three weeks later, on 27 June, Chayeb won a new medal at the European Open in Prague. This time she finished third. His course had stopped in the semifinal against Dutch woman Xanne van Lijf, before a victory against Italian Irene Caleo in the bronze fight.
The Lebanese judokate also started its series of European podiums on 28 March. She had won the silver medal at the Dubrovnik Senior European Cup, still among the under 78 kg.
His recent record includes a silver medal in Dubrovnik, gold in Tallinn, bronze in Prague and now bronze at the Asian Games of Aichi-Nagoya.
This regularity is one of the highlights of his season. Chayeb is no longer content with a presence on the international circuit. She manages to reach the final stages and podiums of several competitions.
Lebanese Judo Celebrates Medalist
Present in Japan, the President of the Lebanese Judo Federation and its branches, François Saadé, congratulated Aqulina Chayeb after his medal. In particular, he praised his technical level and combativity during the competition.
The federal official considers this bronze as a new stage in the Judokate journey and an important result for Lebanese judo on the Asian stage.
François Saadé Junior, director of the Lebanese Judo Federation, also accompanied Chayeb during the competition and conveyed his instructions during the fighting. He described his performance as particularly strong and stressed the Lebanese confidence in Japanese Tatami.
These reactions occurred after a day when the immediate goal remained the podium. The victory against Wu Hongtao enabled the Lebanese delegation to achieve this goal in one of the most prominent categories of women.
At the age of 22, Chayeb still has a significant margin of progression. Its international course was built gradually, first in youth competitions and then on the senior circuit.
She had won a bronze medal at the Asia-Oceania Cadet Championships in 2021. In 2023, she finished third in the Asia Junior Championships. The following year, she had taken a new step in winning money at the Asian Junior Championships.
His move to the senior circuit then faced a higher level, with participations in the Grand Prix, Grand Slams, Continental Championships and World Championships.
Los Angeles 2028 as a goal
After his Nagoya podium, Aqulina Chayeb posted an ambition that surpassed the Asian Games. The Lebanese is now aiming for a medal at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
In her statements after the medals were presented in Japan, she said she was happy to bring a new reward to Lebanon in a discipline she has practiced since her childhood.
The Olympic objective now structures the continuation of its journey. The next two years must allow it to increase confrontations with the best international judokates, to accumulate experience and progress in the world hierarchy.
The challenge remains important. In the world rankings published on October 1, Chayeb ranked 67th among the under 78 kg with 492 points. It is also classified as less than 70 kg due to its previous results in this category.
However, its recent evolution shows a change in dynamics among the less than 78 kg. The results obtained in Dubrovnik, Tallinn, Prague and now Nagoya give him references in this new category.
The Olympic qualification will follow a long-term process. The international calendar, the points achieved in the recognized competitions and the regularity of the results will play a central role in the construction of his journey to Los Angeles.
For the Lebanese, each international tournament thus takes on a double importance: to achieve an immediate result while accumulating the necessary experience against the opponents that it could find during the major international deadlines.
From Nagoya to Baku without a real break
Aqulina Chayeb will have little time to savor her Asian bronze. A new major deadline is already on its agenda.
The International Judo Federation announces its participation in the 2026 Senior World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, whose events begin the4 october. Lebanon must be represented by two judokas, including Chayeb.
The chain is particularly fast. Only a few days separate his bronze fight in Nagoya from Baku’s world event. Physical recovery and displacement between Japan and Azerbaijan will therefore be one of the parameters to be managed before it enters the competition.
The World Championships are also a stage of a higher level. They bring together the main international references of each category and offer Chayeb a new opportunity to measure his progress after his Asian podium.
The medal won on Friday allows him to enter this appointment with a major result a few days earlier. She arrives mainly in Baku after a series of podiums that started in the spring and extended during the summer.
In Tallinn, she had won. In Prague, she was on the third step of the podium. In Nagoya, she has just added an Asian medal to this series.
The next result is now expected in Baku, where Aqulina Chayeb is expected to return to the world circuit in the next few days before continuing a course she wants to drive to the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028.
Comments