"We were well-prepared for the championship."
This is what Elchin Jamalli, a member of Azerbaijan’s national chovgan team, told Idman.biz.
The captain evaluated the team's performance at the European Championship held in Poland. He noted that the competition was intense and exciting:
"It was the first official European Championship we participated in outside of Azerbaijan. Six teams took part in the tournament. Although all matches were competitive, I would particularly highlight the final match against Malta. Being the decisive game, everyone gave their all to win. The opponent was very well-prepared. Despite that, we emerged victorious."
Jamalli emphasized that the regular organization of domestic competitions played a major role in the national team’s success:
"The team spirit was high. Since we have professional league matches every week in the country, we were able to bring together the best athletes from the clubs. Overall, the chovgan tournaments held domestically had a very positive impact on our performance. The national championship is still ongoing. In September, we expect to participate in the European Polo Championship. We also plan to compete in several international tournaments soon. Our goals are ambitious."
Six countries took part in the European Championship: Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Hungary, Malta, Poland, and the United Kingdom. In the final match, the Azerbaijani team defeated Malta 6–2, becoming European champions for the first time in history.
Aytaj Sahed
Idman.biz
