Mahammad Abdullayev, captain of the Azerbaijani national boxing team and bronze medalist at the World Cup in Kazakhstan, gave an interview to Teleqraf.
– What prevented you from winning gold at the World Cup?
– We participated in the first tournament organized by the newly established World Boxing body. It was a tough competition, almost at the level of a world championship. The boys fought well. Personally, I fell ill the day we left for the competition, wasn’t feeling great. I had weakened a bit, but I still managed to fight, and my condition didn’t cause problems during the bouts.
– How did your teammates perform, in your opinion as team captain?
– We won three bronze medals, but we could’ve turned them into gold. It was our first time at such an event, so we weren’t familiar with the referees. I had an unknown referee in the ring who gave me warnings during the fight, something I’d never received before. The referees seemed inexperienced and didn’t know us either. Next time, I believe we can turn the bronzes into gold. The boys fought hard, nobody underperformed. Plus, we didn’t have the full team; 2–3 boxers were missing.
– One of the absentees was Alfonso Dominguez. Is he still on the team?
– I think he is, but I can’t say for sure. He trains with us, but the coaches and management decide who competes.
– You've trained under several head coaches. How is Ravshan Khodjayev different?
– Every head coach has their own style. We had Cuban coaches before, now it’s an Uzbek. Uzbekistan’s boxing is world-class. He brings strict discipline. We’re all happy with him.
– What language do you communicate in?
– We speak Russian, but Uzbek is close to our language, we understand some words.
– Uzbekistan won five golds at Paris 2024. Was that surprising?
– Not really. They’re working hard across all sports, not just boxing. Winning five golds is no small feat.
– There’s been a shortage of heavyweights in Azerbaijani boxing. Some said you were from Dagestan...
– After my first win at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, people claimed I was a legionnaire from Chechnya. My friends would joke, “Does Mahammad know about this?” I’m from Zagatala. Yes, we have different ethnic groups there, Avars, Tsakhurs, Ingiloys, but I’m Azerbaijani.
– You’ve won medals at World and European Championships, but gold still eludes you...
– I’ve been European and world champion among juniors. Among seniors, I’ve won titles at some tournaments and two world bronze medals. In the Minsk 2023 European Games final, I lost to Britain’s Delicious Orie after a tiring run of bouts. In the future, I hope to convert all of these into gold.
– At Tokyo 2020, you lost to Jalolov in the Round of 16, and he went on to win gold. Have you fought him again?
– No, just in training camps, not in the ring.
– What happened in Paris 2024?
– I lost to Germany’s Nelvie Tiafack, whom I had previously defeated to qualify for the Olympics. I had even sparred with him two weeks before Paris. But something just didn’t click at the Olympics. Paris 2024 wasn’t for me.
– You’re seen as Azerbaijan’s main medal hope due to a generational shift. Do you agree?
– Yes, but there hasn’t been a major overhaul. There are new young boxers, and even better ones will come. Anything is possible.
– Does the emergence of World Boxing affect athletes?
– Not really. It’s still the same ring. The only problem might be unfamiliar referees.
– Do people take this new organization more seriously?
– Yes, after all, they’re the ones handing out Olympic licenses. The previous one (IBA) had ties to Russia, which led to this change.
– How does the current federation leadership compare to the previous one?
– Conditions are much better now. Training, funding, everything is well-structured and timely. Both at home and abroad, our camps and nutrition are well organized.
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