Azernews.Az

By Amina Nazarli

The Azerbaijan national team has returned home from the second Summer Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China.

The athletes, who brought home 12 medals, were welcomed by members of sports federations, journalists, fans and their families in the Heydar Aliyev International Airport.

Ranking 10 in the overall medal table, the national team finished sixth among the European countries, third among the CIS countries, and first among the Islamic and Caucasian countries.

Deputy Youth and Sports Minister, Ismayil Ismayilov hailed the athletes` performance at the Olympics.

National wrestler Igbal Hajizada expressed his happiness for participating in the Olympic Games and raising Azerbaijan's flag. "The matches were very stressful, but I achieved my goal. I was properly prepared for this great competition and our intensive trainings paid off. I devote my victory to Azerbaijani people."

"I am so happy that I can worthily represent Azerbaijan in the competition," the winner of gold medal, boxer Rufat Huseynov stressed.

"I was seriously prepared for the games and finally won the gold medal. Although the final fight was very difficult, I got together all my power and defeated my rival to climb on top of the podium," he said.

The bronze medalist, Nazim Babayev noted that he wished to be the winner. "But I gained the bronze medal. Now I will work more serious to win the gold medal in other competitions," he said.

He also did not forget to thank his trainers and congratulated his team mates for their successes.

In the Nanjing Olympic Games, which brought together 3888 athletes aged 15-18 in 29 sports from 204 countries Azerbaijan's team was represented by 21 athletes competed in 9 events, namely athletics, shooting, judo, wrestling, taekwondo, swimming, boxing, archery and rowing.

Taekwondo fighter Said Guliyev, Greco-Roman wrestler Islambek Dadov, boxer Rufat Huseynov, freestyle wrestlers Teymur Mammadov and Igbal Hajizade claimed gold medals.

Female judo fighter Leyla Aliyeva, judo fighter Natig Gurbanli, female taekwondo fighter Ceren Ozbek, rower Boris Yotov, Greco-Roman wrestler Jabbar Najafov, female wrestler Leyla Gurbanova grabbed silver medals, while triple jumper Nazim Babayev won bronze for Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan ranked 11th with 5 gold and 3 silver medals at the first Summer Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010.