A record seven medals at the World Judo Championships in Baku marked a historic achievement for Azerbaijan's national team. However, even such a successful tournament has not resolved all the questions surrounding the team's development. At a post-championship press conference, Azerbaijan Judo Federation (AJF) officials assessed the athletes' performances, discussed existing challenges and outlined their plans for the coming years.
As reported by İdman.Biz, the press conference at the National Gymnastics Arena was attended by AJF Vice-President Elnur Mammadli, Executive Vice-President Rashad Rasullu, and Richard Trautmann, the national teams' Performance Director and head coach of Azerbaijan's men's national team.
A Year of Preparation and a Historic Result
Rashad Rasullu revealed that preparations for the home World Championships had lasted approximately one year. He emphasized the importance of support from Azerbaijan's sporting authorities in organizing the event and helping the national team achieve its results.
"We prepared for the World Championships for about a year. During this period, we highly appreciated the support of Azerbaijan's Ministry of Youth and Sports, Minister Farid Gayibov personally, and the National Olympic Committee," he said.
The federation official thanked the athletes for their performances, stressing that the tournament would hold a special place in the country's sporting history.
Rasullu also highlighted the attention paid to the championships and the national team by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
"First of all, on behalf of the Azerbaijan Judo Federation, we express our deep gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev. His attendance at the opening ceremony on the second day of competition and his support for our team were a source of pride for the federation's leadership. The president's personal meeting with gold medalist Ahmad Yusifov was a tremendous motivation for us. Such attention and care from the country's leadership have inspired us even further," Rasullu stated.
Home Advantage Comes With Pressure
AJF Vice-President Elnur Mammadli also praised the Azerbaijani judokas' performances but drew attention to the psychological challenges of competing in front of a home crowd.
According to him, support from the stands does not always translate into an advantage for athletes.
"Our judokas really achieved excellent results. Competing on home soil has both positive and negative sides. On the one hand, we are competing at home, with our fans supporting us. On the other hand, seeing relatives and loved ones in the stands can create additional pressure. Sometimes this negatively affects athletes' performances. Nevertheless, I congratulate everyone," Mammadli said.
His comments highlighted the additional responsibility faced by Azerbaijani competitors, who had to cope not only with strong international opposition but also with the expectations of their home supporters.
Heydarov Given One Week to Decide
One of the most significant revelations at the press conference concerned the future of Olympic champion Hidayat Heydarov.
Men's national team head coach Richard Trautmann confirmed that the judoka is experiencing weight-management difficulties and must decide whether to continue competing in the 73 kg category or move up to 81 kg.
"As for Hidayat Heydarov, he is a great champion. However, as you know, he is currently experiencing certain difficulties with his weight," Trautmann explained.
The coach stressed that the final decision would be made by Heydarov himself rather than the coaching staff.
"The decision will be made by Hidayat, not by us. He has one week to decide. If he wants to repeat his Olympic achievement, he can compete in either weight category. We will support him in any case and stand by him whatever he chooses," Trautmann stated.
The future weight category of one of Azerbaijan's leading judokas therefore remains uncertain, although a decision is expected within the next week.
Seven Medals Do Not Mean There Are No Problems
Despite the historic medal haul, federation officials acknowledged that technical development remains an important challenge for the national team.
Rashad Rasullu specifically discussed the skills of Omar Rajabli, who won bronze in the 81 kg division.
According to the AJF official, certain elements of Azerbaijani judokas' techniques, including ne-waza groundwork and leg-based attacks, are highly regarded internationally.
However, he acknowledged that shortcomings remain and require further work at both individual and team levels.
Rajabli, in particular, needs to improve certain technical aspects of his judo, including kumi-kata, the art of grip fighting.
Rasullu emphasized that developing classical judo remains one of the federation's main priorities. He admitted that technical deficiencies are also evident within the senior national team, making improvements to the training process essential.
The official also addressed discussions surrounding athletes who have been brought into Azerbaijan's judo system.
"The athletes we brought in did not arrive as finished products. We developed them ourselves. Such discussions also have a negative impact on our athletes," Rasullu said.
His remarks underlined the federation's position that the development of these competitors has been the result of work carried out within Azerbaijan's own training system.
Looking Ahead to 2032–2036
Developing the next generation of judokas will be a major part of the federation's long-term strategy.
According to Rasullu, concrete steps are already being taken to improve the training process. These include plans to organize specialized training camps for boys and girls aged 16–17.
The objective is to ensure that young athletes develop the necessary technical foundations before progressing to senior-level competition, rather than having to address major weaknesses later in their careers.
Rasullu expressed hope that the emergence of a new generation of judokas would significantly reduce the national team's technical shortcomings by 2032–2036.
The federation therefore intends to build on the success of the home World Championships while addressing structural issues that could affect Azerbaijan's competitiveness in the years ahead.
A Record to Build Upon
The World Judo Championships took place in Baku from October 4 to 11. Azerbaijan secured seven medals — one gold, two silver and four bronze — setting a national record for the number of medals won at a senior World Championships.
Ahmad Yusifov became world champion in the 60 kg category, while Zelim Tckaev (81 kg) and Ushangi Kokauri (+100 kg) claimed silver medals.
Bronze medals went to Rashid Mammadaliyev (73 kg), Omar Rajabli (81 kg), Murad Fatiyev (90 kg) and Kenan Nasibov (+100 kg).
The post-championship press conference demonstrated that the federation is not focusing solely on the medals won in Baku.
Alongside the historic achievement, important questions remain concerning Heydarov's weight category, improvements in technical preparation and the development of the next generation of Azerbaijani judokas.
How successfully these challenges are addressed will help determine whether Azerbaijan can turn its record-breaking home performance into sustained success on the international stage.
