Sergiu Toma

Sergiu Toma, born on January 29, 1987, in Chișinău, Soviet Union, is a judoka who has represented two nations in his competitive career. He earned a law degree from Moldova State University. Early in his career, he considered retiring from the sport in 2008 due to financial difficulties. Despite these challenges, he continued to compete and was recognized as Moldovan Athlete of the Year in 2011.

Toma competed for Moldova in the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012. Following the 2012 Olympics, he relocated to the United Arab Emirates along with several other Moldovan judoka and their national coach, Vasile Colta. He then began representing the United Arab Emirates internationally. In 2016, competing in the 81 kg category at the Rio Olympic Games, Toma defeated Japan’s Takanori Nagase to reach the semi-finals. After losing his semi-final match to Khasan Khalmurzaev, he went on to win the bronze medal by defeating Matteo Marconcini. This achievement marked a significant milestone, earning the United Arab Emirates an Olympic medal in Judo.

Throughout his career, Toma has accumulated several notable achievements, including a bronze medal at the 2011 World Judo Championships and a silver medal at the 2011 European Judo Championships, both while representing Moldova. After transitioning to compete for the United Arab Emirates, he continued to add to his accolades, securing several IJF Grand Slam and Grand Prix medals, including gold medals at the 2013 Ulaanbaatar, 2013 Qingdao, 2013 Abu Dhabi, and 2015 Tashkent Grand Prix events.