Hidayat Heydarov says Azerbaijan’s judokas are now fully concentrating on preparations for the upcoming World Judo Championships in Baku, İdman.Biz reports.
“We have already left the European Championships in Tbilisi behind us. All preparations are now focused on the World Championships in Baku,” Heydarov told Report.az. “We trust our team. We believe all of our representatives will represent Azerbaijan worthily at the tournament.”
The reigning Olympic champion in the 73kg category expressed confidence that the national squad can achieve strong results in front of home fans as Azerbaijan prepares to host one of the biggest events on the international judo calendar.
Heydarov also admitted he generally prefers to stay away from media attention.
“I do not want this to be misunderstood, but I do not really like giving interviews. That is simply my personal opinion. That is why I do not speak much,” he added.
The Azerbaijani judoka recently claimed a silver medal at the European Championships held in Tbilisi last month, further underlining his status as one of the country’s leading medal hopes ahead of the World Championships.
Azerbaijan has invested heavily in judo development over the last decade and continues to establish itself as one of Europe’s strongest judo nations, particularly in the men’s divisions.
