Azerbaijan holds shooting championship
By Nigar Orujova
Athletes of Gabala Shooting Club won Azerbaijan Shooting Championship held in Gabala on July 26.
The competition was attended by 30 shooters, including Olympic champion Zemfira Meftahetdinova, finalists of the World Cup and acting record holders in Azerbaijan Nurlana Jafarova, Emin Jafarov, Elvin Ismayilov, Khanhuseyn Bagirov, Elchin Babayev, Pasha Ahadpour, and others.
For the first time, the championship was organized not in the capital city, but in one of the most beautiful part of the country, northern region Gabala at the new Gabala Shooting Club.
The opening was attended by President of Gabala Shooting Club Tale Heydarov and Azerbaijan Shooting Federation's Vice-President Hafiz Jafarov.
Winners of the skeet competition in male group were Emin Jafarov, Khanhuseyn Bagirov, Niyaz Aghazade. Nurlana Jafarova, Zemfira Meftahetdinova and Sevda Mustafayeva were women in female skeet group.
Trap winners were Elchin Babayev, Elvin Ismayilov and Mirza Bashirov in men's group and Alina Rafikhanova, Masuma Javadova, and Rena Alesgerova in women's group.
Representatives of the Gabala Shooting Club Emin Jafarov and Alina Rafikhanova broke the records of the Championship in men and women groups.
This championship was a test before the first Heydar Aliyev International Grand Prix Shotgun in Azerbaijan that will also be held in Gabala on August 14-21.
The main coach of the national team, Hafiz Jafarov praised the works carried out by the Shooting Club.
"It is encouraging that the Gabala Shooting Club pays such attention to the younger generation. All necessary conditions have been created here for the development and formation of children in this sport. They are provided with the best sporting arms, ammunition, sports uniforms, and the most importantly - great coaches were invited!" he said.
"The next year, we will meet them at the championship of the Republic, and I'm sure these guys will show themselves from their best side! I wish success to coaches and athletes! I want to express my special thanks to the management of the Gabala Shooting Club for the enormous contribution and attention they pay to promote and develop of our sport in this region," Jafarov concluded.