Saban Karimi, representing Iran, won the silver medal in the men's 81 kg judo bout at the 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games. He lost to Max Cebulj from Slovenia in the final.
Karimi was the only Iranian representative in judo at these Games. Despite a strong fight in the gold medal match, Cebulj secured the victory with one ippon, earning gold for Slovenia.
The bronze medals in this category were won by Ali Elramli from Egypt and Ivan Nikolchev from Bulgaria.
Despite reaching the podium, Karimi admitted that he was disappointed not to win gold, as his initial goal was to reach the top. He stated: 'I am not very happy with this medal. I don't think it is very good. I am not satisfied with silver because I wanted the gold medal. But thank God, I won silver and will return home with a medal.'
The young Iranian judoka described the competition as a valuable learning experience, especially in overcoming difficult moments under pressure. He added: 'It was a new experience for me, and it was a difficult moment. I learned to find the best solution when I am in a difficult situation.'
Looking to the future, Karimi promised to work harder and intensify his training to improve his results and achieve greater success in future competitions. He noted: 'I am going to work harder and train more to get better. I want to return to my hometown and celebrate it with my family because they supported me a lot.'
Furthermore, Karimi reported that he turned off his mobile phone before the start of the competition to avoid distractions and focus completely on his performance. He concluded: 'I turned off my mobile phone because I didn't want to talk to anyone. I wanted to concentrate on my match.'
