World Ranking Leader U48kg Abiba Abuzhakynova
Abiba Abuzhakynova has become one of the most consistent competitors in the U48kg division and finished 2025 as the leader of the IJF World Ranking. Representing Kazakhstan since 2017, the dynamic lightweight has steadily climbed the international ladder with a series of strong results at the biggest events.
Originally competing for Uzbekistan, Abuzhakynova switched allegiance to Kazakhstan in 2017 and quickly became one of the country’s leading judoka. That same year she took silver at the World Junior Championships in Zagreb, signalling her potential for success on the senior stage.
Her breakthrough at senior level came with a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships in Tashkent. She confirmed her consistency two years later with another world bronze at the 2024 World Championships in Abu Dhabi. At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games she narrowly missed the podium but still finished an impressive fifth.
The 2025 season proved to be the most successful of her career so far. Abuzhakynova reached the final of the World Championships in Budapest and secured the silver medal, her best result on the global stage. She also claimed victory at the Grand Prix Upper Austria in Linz and added a bronze medal at the Grand Slam in Dushanbe.
Throughout her career she has collected World Tour podium finishes in major events such as Paris, Tbilisi, Baku, Tashkent, Antalya and Abu Dhabi. These consistent performances propelled Abuzhakynova to the top of the world ranking in the U48kg category.
Originally competing for Uzbekistan, Abuzhakynova switched allegiance to Kazakhstan in 2017 and quickly became one of the country’s leading judoka. That same year she won silver at the World Junior Championships in Zagreb, signalling her potential for success on the senior stage.
Her breakthrough at senior level came with a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships in Tashkent. She confirmed her consistency two years later with another world bronze at the 2024 World Championships in Abu Dhabi. At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games she narrowly missed the podium but still finished an impressive fifth.
The 2025 season proved to be the most successful of her career so far. Abuzhakynova reached the final of the World Championships in Budapest and secured the silver medal, her best result on the global stage. She also claimed victory at the Grand Prix Upper Austria in Linz and added a bronze medal at the Grand Slam in Dushanbe.
Throughout her career she has collected World Tour podium finishes in major events such as Paris, Tbilisi, Baku, Tashkent, Antalya and Abu Dhabi. These consistent performances propelled Abuzhakynova to the top of the world ranking in the U48kg category.
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