Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

Read more

Azerbaijan's female judokas across all age groups have participated in an international training camp held in Graz, Austria, Azernews reports.

Organised by the European Judo Union, the two-day camp focused on enhancing the athletes' skills and preparing them for upcoming international competitions.

The training sessions were led by prominent coaches, including Amina Abdellatif, head coach of the women's team; senior coach Sasha Herkenrath-Vimar; Elnur Ismayilov, head coach of the national junior girls' team; and coach Amrah Ahmadov.

It is noteworthy that the judokas who will compete in the upcoming Senior World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, will continue their training in Baku, while the junior and senior female athletes will proceed with their training in Leibniz, Austria.

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.