National karateka grabs gold in Croatia

5 July 2019 16:52 (UTC+04:00)

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By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Karatekas of Azerbaijani under 21 national team Murad Hajizade (+84 kg) and Fidan Teymurova (50 kg) have become winners of World Karate Federation U21 Cup in Umag, Croatia.

Hajizade grabbed the gold medal of the tournament, and Teymurova won the bronze.

In addition, WKF Youth League competitions started in Umag on July 5. In kumite, as many as 14 athletes represent Azerbaijan, while in kata there are two national representatives in the age categories 14–15 and 16–17 years old each.

It should be noted that kumite is part of karate in which a person trains against an adversary using the techniques learned from the kihon and kata. Kata is a detailed choreographed pattern of movements made to be practiced alone, but it is also practiced within groups and in unison when training.

Among WKF Youth League judges, Jahangir Babayev and Vugar Karimov represent Azerbaijan.

The National Karate Federation of Azerbaijan, founded in 1994, became a full member of the World Karate Federation in 1997. WKF is the largest and most powerful karate organization in the world, comprising 183 countries and more than 50 million members. In 1996, the National Karate Federation joined the European Karate Federation (EKF).

WKF is the only karate federation recognized by the International Olympic Committee, whose main objective is to combine the basic style of karate under the general rules of the competition and enter into the program of the Olympic Games.

Over the past few years, Azerbaijani karate athletes have many times been the winners of the prestigious international tournaments, European and World Championships.

Currently such karate stars as the repeated World and European Champion, winner of the World Games Rafael Agayev, World Champions Israfil Shirinov, Aykhan Mamayev, Europe Champions Parviz Abdulkarimov, Jeyhun Aghasiyev, Rustam Madatov, Fayyaz Ildirimzade, Niyazi Aliyev and Asiman Gurbanli, bronze medalists of European Championship Amal Atayev, Yusif Jafarov, Shahin Atamov, Rashad Huseynov and Ilaha Gasımova are in the national team.

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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94