Distria Krasniqi inspired by golden finish at IJF Junior World Championships in Abu Dhabi

Kosovo’s Distria Krasniqi will use her gold medal-winning performance in the International Judo Federation (IJF) Junior World Championships as motivation when she steps up to senior level next week.

Action from the IJF Junior World Judo Championships in Abu Dhabi. 24 October 2015. Photo Courtesy: Mostafa Reda/Al Ittihad
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ABU DHABI // Kosovo’s Distria Krasniqi will use her gold medal-winning performance in the International Judo Federation (IJF) Junior World Championships as motivation when she steps up to senior level next week.

“It’s a great feeling to win the gold and give Kosovo more recognition as a sporting nation,” Krasniqi said after her victory last night at the Ipic Arena at Zayed Sports City.

Krasniqi won a bronze on her World Junior debut at Baku in 2013 but had to miss the 2014 event at Fort Lauderdale in the United States because of visa complications.

“It is my last year in the Junior World Championships, and from now on I will have to focus on the senior competitions, beginning with the Grand Prix Abu Dhabi,” she said. “Stepping up to the senior level from now on is not a problem because I have been taking part in them for the last two years.”

Krasniqi, 19, will now attempt a double when she stays in the UAE for the Grand Slam Abu Dhabi from October 30 to November 1, also at Ipic Arena.​

She previously won a bronze medal at Grand Slam Baku in May and finished twice at Grand Prix Paris in 2014 and 2015.

Meanwhile, Japan led the medals table with four golds followed by South Korea (two) and Kazakhstan and Kosovo with one each at the end of the second day on Saturday of the championship that runs until Tuesday at the Ipic Arena.

Hosts UAE did not have much success with their juniors but are hoping to win a few medals with the seniors at the Grand Slam Abu Dhabi.

Barring Maitha Mohammed’s victory over Abeer Al Qawasmi of Jordan in the junior women’s 52kg, none of the seven other Emirati juniors managed to go beyond the first round.

“For most of our juniors, it was their first appearances in a world championship,” said Nasser Al Tamimi, general secretary of the UAE Wrestling, Judo and Kick Boxing Federation. “It was a learning curve for them as they are very young and can compete in the junior world championships in the next two to three years. We still are hopeful to win a few medals in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and for some of them to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. That will be our main objective at the moment.”

The IJF Junior World Championships are held every year and the Abu Dhabi event have drawn more than 800 judokas aged 20 and under. Competition continues until Tuesday at the IPIC Arena.

The Judo World Tour has three more events this year after Grand Slam Abu Dhabi, including the final grand slam for the season in Tokyo on December 5 and 6.

apassela@thenational.ae

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