The reason for the weak performance of Azerbaijani teams at the Heydar Aliyev Memorial Tournament was inexperience.
According to Idman.biz, this was stated by Isgandar Asgarov, Head of the Sports Department of the Azerbaijan Handball Federation and a representative of the European Handball Federation, in an interview with Report news agency.
The official evaluated the results of the tournament held in Azerbaijan in memory of Heydar Aliyev: “If our teams had more experience, they would have achieved higher positions. The level and preparation systems of the teams coming here are different. They are preparing for the Asian Cup, so their training is at a high level when they arrive in Azerbaijan. For example, Uzbekistan participated in a tournament in Russia before coming here. These teams start preparation earlier. Of course, considering European standards, we are weaker. But last year, the ‘Kur’ team passed a stage. At that time, there were many foreign players in the squad. Now we have reduced their number. The most important thing for us is the development of Azerbaijani handball players. Since we don’t participate in European or world-level competitions, we don’t have high-level players in the national team. The ones we have are 35–40 years old, nearing the end of their careers. We need young handball players. For this purpose, we are also trying to develop handball in the regions. Compared to previous years, the number of local handball players has increased, which is already an achievement.”
He emphasized that interest in handball is growing in Azerbaijan: “Interest in handball is increasing. We receive requests from many regions, and people want to coach. Our weak point is the low number of coaches and players. Handball is practically absent in sports schools. Together with the Youth and Sports Ministry, we are trying to develop handball in Azerbaijan’s regions. Three years ago, Mingachevir didn’t have a team. Now teams operate in Lankaran, Gazakh, Ganja, Goygol, and Jalilabad.”
Asgarov also stated that they plan to continue organizing international competitions in Azerbaijan: “This is the third consecutive year we are holding this tournament. In the first two editions, only women participated. This year, men played for the first time. Our domestic competitions start in September and end in May. Every year, at least four of our clubs participate in European Cups, which start in September. To be ready, clubs must participate in both training camps and matches. The main goal of this tournament is to help teams prepare better for international competitions. In the future, we want to organize international competitions in Azerbaijan again. Our goal is to make the Heydar Aliyev Memorial Tournament a traditional event for women’s teams, as these teams play in European Cups. We also plan a tournament for men in memory of our late coach Hikmat Abdullayev and intend to make it traditional as well.”
The winner of the memorial tournament was Uzbekistan’s OKMK team, which defeated Kazakhstan in the final. Azerbaijan’s “Baku” and “Kur” teams were eliminated in the semifinals, while “Qarabag” did not advance from the group stage.
Idman.biz
