Please, Stop! Diyora Keldiyorova Urges Uzbek Fans to Cease Insulting Japanese Judoka Uta Abe

Another unpleasant incident involving Uzbek fans has occurred. Judoka Diyora Keldiyorova, who won the first gold medal for Uzbekistan at the Paris Olympics, today appealed to Uzbek fans to stop posting offensive comments on the Instagram profile of Japanese judoka Uta Abe, who lost to Keldiyorova. The Uzbek athlete urged her supporters to show respect and reminded them that sport is a force that unites people.

«Today I found out on my Instagram that many offensive comments are being written by Uzbeks on my opponent Uta Abe’s profile. I ask all fans to show deep respect for everyone, regardless of who they are! This is sport, this is the force that unites us! We are all a judo family. Please, stop! I believe that the most important thing judo teaches people is respect!!!» wrote Diyora Keldiyorova.

Uta Abe had been undefeated for the past five years. After losing to Keldiyorova, the 24-year-old athlete burst into tears and remained lying on the mats with her face buried. Upon standing up, she continued to cry uncontrollably, while her coach did everything possible to console her. Abe’s last defeat was 47 victories ago, in November 2019, when she lost to Amandine Buchard of France.

The athlete also added that Keldiyorova demonstrated excellent technique. «I was confused, unable to react,» noted Abe.

The head coach of the Japanese women’s judo team, Katsuyuki Masuchi, acknowledged that the opponent outsmarted Uta. «In the 52 kg weight category, there are so many good judokas. She [Keldiyorova] is very fast. I knew the competition would be tough, but I expected Uta to find a way to win, as she always does,» said the head coach.

This incident highlights how important it is to maintain respect in sports. Sport is not just about competitions and victories, but also about mutual respect and support. Offensive comments and negative statements contradict the spirit of the sports community and only worsen the situation. Let us remember this and support our athletes in a respectful manner.

The text has been translated by AI. For more accurate information, please refer to the Russian version of the article.