A magnificent victory at the Tashkent “Grand Slam”

Azerbaijani judokas achieved great success at this year’s next “Grand Slam” tournament held in the capital of Uzbekistan. The achievement at the Paris tournament a month earlier was repeated with a bang. Azerbaijani judokas are capable of competing with athletes from any country on the world stage and even defeating their highest title holders. This was proven once again in Tashkent.

I am not highlighting ours, that is, as a representative of the “Judo club 2012”, but the fact that Murad Fatiyev (-90 kg) defeated the two-time Olympic champion from Georgia, Lasha Bekauri, in the final and won the gold medal is a great achievement for Azerbaijani judo. Murad is a very determined and strong athlete, and has recently taken his rightful place in the national team. I believe that he will justify our hopes in future international competitions.

The fact that other members of the national team – Ahmed Yusifov (-60 kg) and Omar Rajabli (-81 kg), Kenan Nasibov (+100 kg) won gold, Balabey Agayev (-60 kg) silver, Zelim Kotsoyev (-100 kg) and Jamal Gamzatkhanov (+100 kg) bronze medals – is a clear indication of the continuous development of judo in Azerbaijan.
Our national team, which set off for Tashkent with 8 athletes, finished the prestigious competition among 39 countries with 4 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals, taking second place in the team standings after Japan, the creator of judo, and first place in the men’s competition. This will always be remembered as one of the bright pages of our judo annals.

The current successes of Azerbaijani judo are the result of the attention and care shown to the sport by our state, the systematic work carried out by the Azerbaijan Judo Federation and the selfless work of coaches. These successes, at the same time, increase the interest of young people in sports, inspire them to a healthy lifestyle and victories.

I believe that our judokas will continue to successfully perform in the world arenas, raise the flag of Azerbaijan high and further increase the fame of our judo school. The magnificent victory in Tashkent gives reason to say this. I heartily congratulate our athletes, their coaches, the federation leadership and the Azerbaijani judo family who worked hard for this success!

Azer Askerov