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Laman Ismayilova

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Azerbaijan's table tennis players have joined another international competition being held in Tashkent and Andijan, AzerNEWS reports.

After winning one silver and two bronze medals at the WTT Youth Contender in Tashkent, the team's next challenge is in Andijan.

Ten Azerbaijani athletes will compete in a tournament dedicated to the memory of the renowned Uzbek table tennis player Rafik Shiriev.

Under the leadership of youth national team head coaches Elnur Hidayatzade and Ramil Jafarov, Yagmur Mammadli, Yasəmən Həbibova, Mehin Mirzəbalayeva, Banu Imanverdizade, Səidə Quluzadə, Aylin Sharafli, Gulnur Karimli, Jafar Almadadli, Aliakbar Mirzaliyev, and Jamal Karim will compete across three age categories.

The international tournament will conclude on May 21.

The Azerbaijan Table Tennis Federation (ASTF) was established in the early 1950s, following the organization of a Baku section for table tennis. This came after a growing interest in the sport in the 1930s and 1940s.

Officially, ASTF has been a member of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) since 1995, and at the same time a member of the European Table Tennis Union (ETTU).

One of the main goals of ASTF is to organize and develop table tennis across the country: to build a stable and well‑equipped national federation; to ensure proper material and technical support and training for the national teams; to promote the sport at the grassroots level, including among youth; and to involve Azerbaijani athletes in national and international competitions.