2023 will be remembered as a successful year for Azerbaijani boxing.
Idman.biz reports that this year Azerbaijan national teams won 179 medals in different age groups. The teams received these awards in 26 international competitions they participated in. 35 of them are gold, 37 are silver and 107 are bronze. As a result, the teams achieved 132 percent progress compared to last year.
The Azerbaijani boxers won 11 out of 179 awards in the European and 3 World Championships. The national teams returned home with prizes from each of the world championships and continental level competitions in which they participated. Also, our boxers won the podium at the European Games 2 times and won a license for the Paris-2024 Summer Olympic Games the same number of times. Our national team also has medals from the Golden Belt Series, the II CIS Games and the International University Sports Festival.
14 medals in the European and World championships, the first Azerbaijani
As part of our team, Nijat Huseynov (51 kg) won the title of champion for the second time in a row at the U-22 European Championship. In the competition held in Budva, Montenegro, Azrak Babirov (57 kg) won silver, Tural Sariyev (48 kg), Murad Allahverdiyev (80 kg) and Marjona Savriyeva (50 kg) won bronze medals. The team won 5 medals in the European Championship and made history for the first time. So far, our boxers have reached the podium 4 times in a similar competition, this time the number has increased to 5.
The U-22 European Championship was also marked by the fact that Azerbaijan won the first medal in the women's competition. Marjona Savriyeva (50 kg) was the 3rd in the team and wrote her name in our boxing history.
Shahin Aslanov (52 kg) and Safter Mammadzada (90 kg) won the title of the continent's strongest at the European Cadet Championship in Maribor, Slovenia. Adil Zalov (63 kg) and Ismayil Valiyev (70 kg) climbed to the 3rd step of the podium. In 2022, our team won 1 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze medals in Turkiye, but this time all 2 boxers who qualified for the finals left the ring victorious.
Our junior boxers won 2 more medals in the continental championship. In Ployesti, Romania, Elbrus Karimli (54 kg) and Ilkana Ahmadova (+80 kg) took the 3rd place.
At the World Championship, Alfonso Dominguez (86 kg) won a silver medal, and Mahammad Abdullayev (+92 kg) won a bronze medal. Successes are not related to the name of single men as it was last year. Aynur Rzayeva, who climbed to the 3rd step of the podium in the similar women's competition, was among the prize winners as the first Azerbaijani boxer.
Hope for tomorrow
As for the individual teams, the junior team won more medals. The national team led by Vagif Kazimov won 60 awards in 7 competitions. If we add here the school boxers who participated in the European Championship, the number of awards is equal to 64. 18 of them were gold, 9 were silver and 37 were bronze. This team achieved a 326 percent increase (not including cadets) compared to last year.
The number of national awards for young people has increased from 16 to 51. The team coached by Elbrus Rzayev won these awards in 6 international competitions. Their percentage of increase in medals is equal to 219.
The team coached by Pedro Roque won 24 prizes from 8 tournaments. Our women's and girls' national teams, led by Yadigar Mammadov, won medals 29 times in 11 international competitions.
Considering the success and record of the U-22, we can look forward to tomorrow in our teams for all age groups. Because there is more progress in the number of medals in lower age groups.
47 percent result, 2 international competitions again in Baku
National teams of different age groups were represented by 383 boxers in 26 competitions. 74 of the boxers tested their strength in European and world championships, 309 in international tournaments. 47 percent of them raised the Azerbaijani flag high in competitions.
After a certain break, Azerbaijan hosted 2 international tournaments. An international competition among teenagers dedicated to the 100th anniversary of National leader Heydar Aliyev was held with the participation of 11 countries. After that, an international tournament dedicated to the memory of Abbas Aghalarov was organized in our country, 7 teams participated. These competitions and Azerbaijani championships were live streamed on YouTube.
As for the Azerbaijan championships, 3 such competitions were organized. According to the results of the 6 zone tournament among cadets, the final stage took place in Baku with the participation of the strongest. 227 strongest athletes from 52 teams participated in the decisive stage.
Improvements in the number of teams and participants were also recorded in the national championship among young boxers. This time, 227 athletes from 59 teams participated in the championship.
The national championship of male boxers has also left behind the last years in terms of participants. 167 athletes from 41 teams fought in the competition, which was also protected by foreign supervisors and judges.
The material and technical base is getting stronger, our judges are increasing their star
Important steps have been taken in the direction of strengthening the material and technical base of 2023, a few days before the memory of history. Mr. President, President of the National Olympic Committee Ilham Aliyev was informed about the Boxing Training Center built in the auxiliary building of the arena when he got acquainted with the conditions created after the reconstruction of the Sumgait city stadium named after Mehdi Huseynzada in Sumgayit. At the same time, the training of athletes has been resumed at Lankaran Boxing Center.
Also, our judges have increased their stars and have been assigned to international competitions. Seminars were organized for our coaches in Baku, and several training camps were organized for our boxers outside the country and in the capital.
Wait for us, Paris
We believe that 2024 will be more successful for our boxers. Because the national boxing team will go to the Paris-2024 Summer Olympic Games with the motto "Toward the Olympic gold", which was launched last year. Murad Allahverdiyev (80 kg) and Mahammad Abdullayev (+92 kg) took the first steps on this path. There is no doubt that the number of licenses will increase in the upcoming qualifying tournaments. For this reason, the team said "Wait for us, Paris" and will go to the French capital for the first Olympic gold for Azerbaijan.
It should be noted that 1 year ago, our boxers won 77 (30-20-27) medals in 15 international competitions.
Idman.biz
