Portuguese judoka João Fernando was crowned champion today in the -81 kg category at the Taranto2026 Mediterranean Games, defeating Egyptian Abdelrahman Abdelghany in the final. The victory was achieved by ippon in just 38 seconds, demonstrating the Portuguese athlete's superiority during the bout.
The event took place at PalaWojtyla in Martina Franca, the Italian city hosting the Mediterranean Games. This achievement represented Portugal's first judo medal at the competition held in the Italian city.
João Fernando, who had previously competed at the Olympic Games, thus achieved Portugal's seventh title at this edition of the Mediterranean Games. This victory also contributed to Portugal's 18th medal at Taranto2026, reinforcing the country's position in the medal table.
