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AzerNEWS Staff

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Young athletes representing the Children Paralympic Movement, supported by Azercell, won 34 medals at international competitions in the first half of 2026. The team claimed 9 gold, 12 silver, and 13 bronze medals, AzerNEWS reports.

One of the team's strongest performances came at the European Open Para Powerlifting Championships, where Azerbaijan finished among the competition's top-performing teams with 12 medals — four gold, four silver, and four bronze. Sabir Zeynalov also claimed the first European Championship medal of his career, winning silver at the European Para Taekwondo Championships.

Among the standout individual performances, Aysel Ahmadli won the WSF Shotokan Karate World Championship title, while Zahra Salmanli made a winning debut at the BWF Para Badminton World Championships as the tournament's youngest competitor. Ali Valiyev also continued his strong run on the international stage, winning six medals at international competitions, including the World Para Swimming World Series.

Another highlight of the first half of the year was Azerbaijan's first National Para Swimming Championship, which brought together around 30 young para swimmers competing across nine disciplines.

Azercell has been supporting the Children Paralympic Movement since 2014. Over the past decade, the partnership has helped expand access to sport for children with disabilities, creating more opportunities to develop their talents, build confidence, and become active members of society. It has also helped strengthen the Paralympic movement in Azerbaijan.