By Naranbat Serjmaa
OCA Youth Reporter from Mongolia
Nagoya, Japan, October 2, 2026: It took just 90 seconds on Tatami 1 at the Aichi International Arena for 26-year-old Kazirbyek Yolk to etch his name into Asian Games history.
With a decisive submission hold at the 1:30 mark of the men's -66 kg final, the Mongolian judoka scored a dramatic Ippon victory over Uzbekistan’s Paris Olympic bronze medalist Abdurahim Nutfulloev to claim Mongolia’s first gold medal of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games.
In competitive judo, an athlete's ultimate objective is scoring an Ippon, which functions much like a knockout in boxing to immediately end the contest. Yolk achieved this victory by forcing his opponent to submit on the mat, bringing a swift climax to the gold medal bout.
Facing Nutfulloev, a formidable athlete who previously captured both the Ulaanbaatar and Astana Grand Slam titles alongside his Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medal, Yolk asserted his presence early by scoring a Yuko.
As intensity mounted, both competitors received a Shido, an official penalty issued by referees for minor infractions such as non-combativity or stepping out of bounds.
With one Shido penalty apiece, Yolk seized his moment during ground work to secure the match winning submission.
Yolk’s path to the top of the 20-man bracket required overcoming a stacked field of elite international competitors. On his route to the final mat, he opened with a victory over Hikmatullah Rahmani of Afghanistan. In the quarterfinals, Yolk defeated Tajikistan’s Nurali Emomali, a 2025 World Championship silver medalist, 2026 Asian champion and former world junior champion.
He then advanced through a tense semifinal against Kazakhstan’s Gusman Kyrgyzbayev, a Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medalist and former World Championship silver medalist, setting up the gold medal showdown against Nutfulloev.
For Yolk, an International-class Master of Sports, the gold medal marks the pinnacle of a journey rooted in rural Mongolia. Raised in Selenge Province, Yolk began practicing judo at age 13 after following a friend to a local training session.
His development received a defining catalyst around 2013 when International Judo Federation representatives visited rural Mongolian provinces to introduce children to the sport. During that outreach visit, officials presented young Yolk with his very first judogi, which is the traditional uniform consisting of a heavy woven cotton jacket, reinforced trousers, and a fabric belt.
That early gift paved the way for rapid progress on the world stage. Following a breakthrough bronze medal at the 2025 World Judo Championships, Yolk built his momentum through 2026, placing fifth at the Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam and seventh at the Asian Judo Championships before peaking in Nagoya.
With this victory, Yolk becomes the 27th Mongolian athlete across all sports to win an Asian Games title, and the eighth Mongolian judoka in history to take home Asian Games gold. He joins an illustrious group of national champions, including Khaliuny Boldbaatar, who won gold at the 1998 Bangkok Games in the men's lightweight division, and Khishigbatyn Erdenet-Od, who captured gold in Bangkok that same year in the women's -57 kg class.
The legacy continued with Damdinsuren Nyamkhuu, gold medalist at the 2006 Doha Games in the men's -81 kg category, and Khashbaataryn Tsagaanbaatar, who won gold in Doha alongside his 2004 Olympic bronze medal and 2009 World title.
More recently, Naidangiin Tuvshinbayar claimed gold at the 2014 Incheon Games following his historic 2008 Olympic gold medal, while Davaadorjiin Tömörkhüleg won gold in Incheon in the men's -66 kg division, and Mönkhbatyn Urantsetseg captured gold in Incheon to complement her 2013 World Championship title and 2020 Tokyo Olympic bronze medal.
As the Mongolian national anthem echoed inside the Aichi International Arena, Yolk did more than just claim an individual title. From a young boy receiving his first judogi in rural Selenge Province to standing atop the Asian Games podium in Nagoya, his campaign stands as a masterclass in poise and tactical excellence. By writing his name alongside the legends of Mongolian judo, Kazirbyek Yolk has carried a proud athletic tradition into a new era, ensuring that his country's rich combat sports legacy continues to burn bright on the international stage
