Olympic judo champion Hidayat Heydarov will be among Azerbaijan's leading contenders at the Budapest Grand Slam, scheduled to take place in the Hungarian capital from September 11 to 13.
As reported by İdman.Biz, the Azerbaijan Judo Federation has announced a 16-member squad for the tournament, comprising 12 men and four women across 11 weight categories.
Heydarov, who won Olympic gold at Paris 2024, will compete in the men's under-81 kg division alongside Vusal Galandarzade. The Olympic champion's participation will be one of the main highlights of Azerbaijan's campaign in Budapest.
The tournament is part of the World Judo Tour and will award qualification points for the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics. More than 500 judokas from 70 countries are expected to participate.
Azerbaijan's women's team will feature Konul Aliyeva (48 kg), Aydan Valiyeva (52 kg), Sudaba Aghayeva (70 kg) and Madina Kaysionova (+78 kg).
The men's squad consists of Murad Muradli and Babaraim Mirzayev (60 kg), Rashad Yelkiyev and Nizami Imranov (66 kg), Kamran Suleymanov and Rashid Mammadaliyev (73 kg), Hidayat Heydarov and Vusal Galandarzade (81 kg), Vugar Talibov (90 kg), Ajdar Baghirov (100 kg), and Jamal Gamzatkhanov and Kenan Nasibov (+100 kg).
The delegation will be led by men's national team head coach Richard Trautmann, senior coaches Elkhan Mammadov and Robert Krawczyk, women's national team head coach Amina Abdellatif, and senior coach Sasha Herkenrath-Wimar.
Nazim Umbayev, a member of the Azerbaijan Judo Federation's Refereeing Committee and an international Category A referee, will also officiate at the tournament.
