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Laman Ismayilova

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Azerbaijani athlete Onur Guluzaade has won a bronze medal in the doubles competition at the European Youth Table Tennis Championships held in Gondomar, Portugal, AzerNEWS reports.

Guluzaade claimed the medal alongside his Turkish teammate Görkem Öcal, marking a historic achievement for Azerbaijani table tennis.

The young player became the first Azerbaijani table tennis athlete in the independence era to win a medal at this level of European competition.

Note that the national table tennis players have been increasingly active on the international stage, representing the country in various European and world competitions.

In recent years, their participation in training camps and tournaments abroad has played an important role in improving performance levels and gaining international experience.

The Azerbaijan Table Tennis Federation (ASTF) plays a key role in the development of the sport in the country.

The federation 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.