David Štarkel loses opening match at Judo World Championships

Slovenian judoka David Štarkel opened the Slovenian participation at the World Judo Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. Competing in the under 60 kg category, Štarkel faced Kazakhstan's Aman Bakitžan in the second round after receiving a bye in the first.

Štarkel lost the match in golden score (overtime) to Bakitžan, who had previously won bronze at the Paris Grand Slam. Following the match, Štarkel noted that his opponent had studied his technique well and admitted that fatigue affected his performance in the final moments. He also mentioned that he was forced into a decisive attack to avoid a third penalty.

The championships feature 622 athletes from 93 countries. Other Slovenian competitors are scheduled to appear throughout the week, including Martin Hojak, Kaja Kajzer Žabkar, Nace Herkovič, Nika Koren, Kaja Schuster, Metka Lobnik, and Gal Bertalanič Žižek.