Rafael Aghayev among 100 best athletes
By Laman Ismayilova
Globoesporte has compiled a list of the 100 best athletes in various sports 100 days before the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Azerbaijan karateka Rafael Aghayev, who is a 5-time world champion, and an 11-time European champion, is also on the list. He was the only karate fighter in this sport.
Rafael Aghayev has managed to achieve all of the highest sporting victories in karate; he is multiple European Champion and repeated World Champion.
For outstanding sports achievements, he repeatedly has received awards from the leadership of the National Olympic Committee, the Youth and Sport Ministry of Azerbaijan Republic.
The President of the World Karate Federation, Antonio Espinosa, called him "Diamond of the Karate World."
Rafael Aghayev won a gold medal in karate (kumite) competitions at the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku.
He secured the gold medal thanks to a victory over Pakistani Ghulam Abbas in the 75kg division final.
The Top-100 list also includes the star player of the Brazilian national team and French PSG Neymar, famous tennis players - Spanish Rafael Nadal, Serbian Novak Djokovic, and Swiss Roger Federer, US Serena Williams, basketball players LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
Tokyo Summer Olympics 2021 was postponed amid coronavurus pandemic. The Summer Olympic Games will run from July 23- August 8 this year. The Summer Paralympic Games will take place from August 24 to September 5.
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