It was a weekend of Israeli success on the international stage, with two martial artists bringing home medals at separate world championships.
In Bangkok, Thailand, Omri Haviv captured the gold medal in the men’s 69kg No-Gi category at the Jiu-Jitsu World Championships. Haviv advanced to the final with four consecutive victories, demonstrating impressive technical skill and composure throughout the competition.
In the final bout, he faced a tough opponent from Kazakhstan in an intense, closely contested match. Haviv held a slim points lead with just five seconds remaining when his opponent delivered an illegal kick, a foul that led to an immediate disqualification and secured the gold for the Israeli fighter.
“This is an incredible achievement for Omri and for Israeli jiu-jitsu,” said Erez Elroy, chairman of the Israel Jiu-Jitsu Federation. “Omri is one of the most promising talents in the world, and there’s no greater joy than ending the senior championship with a gold medal and hearing Hatikvah played for Israel. The results of our senior team this year will surely inspire the next generation as the youth championships begin tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, at the Sambo World Championships in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Shaked Nisimian won a silver medal in the women’s 72kg category, overcoming extreme travel difficulties to reach the podium.
The Israeli delegation’s journey was far from smooth – after a delayed flight from Israel to Dubai caused them to miss their connection, the team was forced to spend nearly 24 hours at the airport and arrived at the competition hall without rest. Despite this, Nisimian decided to compete and delivered an extraordinary performance.
After receiving a first-round bye due to her high ranking, Nisimian knocked out her Kazakh opponent, then defeated an Uzbek competitor 2–0 in the semifinals before falling to a Russian opponent in the final, earning Israel a hard-fought silver medal.
Two young Israeli fighters also made their senior debuts: Yanai Kadosh (19) and Vladi Polotsky (19), both from the Otzma Bat Yam club. Kadosh lost to the eventual gold medalist from Russia, while Polotsky finished seventh after one victory and two defeats.
Winning silver despite 'exhaustion and travel challenges'
Shai Geizinger, CEO of the Israel Sambo Federation, praised the team’s resilience.
“Shaked proved once again that she’s a true champion. Despite exhaustion, sleeplessness, and travel challenges, she achieved an amazing result and brought home a silver medal. It’s no small feat, and I believe we’ll continue to bring more medals to Israel.”
Arik Kaplan, president of the Ayelet Federation for Non-Olympic Sports, added: “Shaked has shown over the past year that she’s among the world’s elite athletes. These results reflect Israel’s growing strength in non-Olympic sports.”
With a gold medal in Bangkok and a silver in Bishkek, Israel continues to cement its reputation as a rising power in international martial arts – a weekend of pride and perseverance for Israeli sport.