Tal Flicker. Credit: YouTube.

JNS.org – Israeli judoka Tal Flicker won a bronze medal on Tuesday at the World Judo Championships in Budapest in the under-66 kilogram (145-pound) weight category.

Flicker, 25, beat Ukrainian judoka Georgii Zantaraia, who won the gold medal in the same weight class at the European Judo Championships in April. Flicker’s bronze marks the Jewish state’s ninth medal at the World Judo Championships and makes him the fourth Israeli man to win bronze at the sporting event.

“A world championship is the hardest competition there is,” said Flicker. “Each match is a world war. Sometimes, matches don’t end quickly and you have to fight until the last second. I’m happy that I won in the end.”

In addition to his bronze medal, the Israeli judoka will be awarded 60,000 shekels ($16,700) by a joint fund of the Israeli Olympic Committee, the Israeli Culture and Sport Ministry and the Israel Sports Betting Board.