Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

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The Azerbaijan Judo Federation (AJF) continues to advance the professional development of judo coaches across the country, aiming to align their knowledge and skills with contemporary standards, Azernews reports.

As part of this ongoing initiative, the "Coach Certification Program" has entered a new phase, with 30 coaches who have completed the "Level III training" now undergoing practical skills assessments.

The evaluation process focuses not only on theoretical knowledge but also on how coaches apply their methodologies, technical and tactical expertise, and management skills in real training scenarios.

The assessment is overseen by Richard Trautman, the performance director of Azerbaijan's national judo teams.

The process follows a global best-practice methodology, ensuring that the evaluation of coaches' proficiency is both thorough and objective.

The primary goal of the certification program is to strengthen the coaching infrastructure within Azerbaijan, create greater incentives for professional development, and, ultimately, ensure the long-term success of Azerbaijani judo on the international stage.

Furthermore, this initiative will open up additional opportunities for specialists in various regions of the country, contributing to the development of a unified coaching methodology and offering a significant boost to the growth of judo in Azerbaijan.

Founded in 1972, the Azerbaijan Judo Federation actively promotes this martial art worldwide. 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.