Ion Basoc earns Moldova’s first Para judo world title

Ion Basoc became Moldova’s first Para judo world champion at the 2026 IBSA Judo World Championships in Tbilisi. He won the men’s +95kg J1 title after overcoming Brazil’s Wilians Silva de Araújo, who had beaten him in the Paris 2024 Paralympic final and at the previous world championships.

The championships ran from 25 to 27 September and brought together 290 competitors from 44 countries. Basoc’s victory added a world title to the Paralympic silver medal that had already established him among Moldova’s leading Para athletes.

Brazil still collected three individual gold medals and 12 medals overall, while China won three women’s individual titles. The event forms part of the competitive pathway toward LA28, but Basoc’s world title does not by itself confirm Paralympic qualification.