Havana, November 27 (RHC) – The draw for the 2025 Judo Grand Slam was finalised today, and Cuban Andy Granda learned that he will make his debut against China’s Li Haiyang when the tournament kicks off this Friday at the imposing Mubadala Arena.
The colossus, weighing over 100 kilos, the 2022 world champion and a leading figure in Pan American judo for more than a decade, lands in the desert with the serenity of a warrior who has tasted glory and returns for more. His name, etched in continental and Pan American medals, returns to the circuit with the promise of another feat.
Li, bronze medalist at the recent Qingdao Grand Prix, looms as the first obstacle on the path of the only Cuban registered in the competition. An intense match is anticipated, a clash of wills where Granda will seek to impose his dominance and that blend of patience and fury that distinguishes him in crucial moments.
The Matanzas native, currently ranked among the best in the world, will await his turn to enter the tatami, but his mere presence already stirs the anticipation of the Grand Slam.
