Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

Read more

The Azerbaijani women's national judo team has secured first place at the European Cup held in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Azernews reports.

The team delivered an impressive performance, earning two gold and two bronze medals.

Gold medals went to Konul Aliyeva (48 kg) and Gultaj Mammadaliyeva (57 kg), while Leyla Aliyeva (48 kg) and Gunel Hasanli (78 kg) each received bronze.

Notably, Azerbaijan was the only country to win multiple gold medals at the event. Croatia finished second with one gold and three silver medals, while Poland took third place with one gold, two silver, and two bronze medals.

Participants from 13 nations reached the podium during the competition.

Founded in 1972, the Azerbaijan Judo Federation actively promotes this martial art across the country. Since 2015, the Federation has been led by Rovnag Abdullayev.

The country's modern judo history was laid by Mehman Azizov, who won a silver medal at the Old World Championship in 1998.

A year later, the winner of the World Youth Games in Moscow, Rasul Salimov, grabbed the bronze medal at the European Championship in Slovakia. Another national judoka, Elchin Ismayilov, became the European champion in 2000 in Wroclaw.

However, the achievements of Azerbaijani judo fighters did not stop there. Elnur Mammadli was named the best at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 73 kg division.

The list of the country's top judo fighters includes Rustam Orujov, İrina Kindzerskaya, Mammadali Mehdiyev, Elmar Gasimov, Hidayat Heydarov, Zelim Kotsoev, Ushangi Kokauri, and Nijat Shikhalizada.

At the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, judokas Hidayat Heydarov (73 kg) and Zelym Kotsoiev (100 kg) earned gold medals for Azerbaijan.