Akil Gjakova Falls Short of Bronze at Tbilisi European Games
Tbilisi, Georgia – Kosovar judoka Akil Gjakova narrowly missed securing a bronze medal at the 2026 European Games held in Tbilisi. The competition culminated in a defeat against Turkish wrestler Bilal Ciloglu in the bronze medal fight. Gjakova’s journey through the tournament included several notable victories.
He initially defeated Austrian judoka Samuel Gassner with an Ippon in the round of 32, progressing to the quarter-finals. There, he overcame British competitor Benjamin Levy also via an Ippon. However, a challenging third-round encounter against Georgian Lasha Shavdatuashvili resulted in Gjakova’s elimination.
Following this setback, the Kosovar athlete advanced to the repechage phase, determined to fight for a bronze medal. Despite his efforts in the subsequent bouts, Akil Gjakova was ultimately unsuccessful in his pursuit of a bronze medal, losing the final fight against Bilal Ciloglu. The result marks the end of Gjakova’s competition at the European Games.
Topics: #gjakova #bronze #akil
It’s disappointing for Akil and his supporters to see him come so close to a medal.
What were Akil Gjakova’s strategies against Bilal Ciloglu?