“Overall, the men's national judo team showed the expected results at the Grand Slam."
Rashad Rasullu, Executive Vice President of the Azerbaijan Judo Federation, shared this statement in an interview with Report, Idman.biz reports.
He mentioned that the team performed at an average level: "We believe the team performed at an average level overall. It should be noted that Hidayat Heydarov, Zelym Kotsoiev, Eljan Hajiyev, Turan Bayramov, Vugar Talibov, Murad Fatiyev, and several of our athletes were absent due to injuries or various reasons. Therefore, our performance was weaker compared to previous years. However, overall, the men's team delivered the expected result. Of course, some athletes need to work on themselves. The 'Grand Slam' is also a trial event for preparing for larger competitions. We can see the shortcomings, and we will continue working to address them in the next stages."
Rasullu also emphasized that the high level of organization behind the event was the result of teamwork: "The Azerbaijan Judo Federation has extensive experience in organizing not only 'Grand Slam' events but also regional, domestic, and other international competitions. We have a great team working in this field. We collaborate closely with the International Judo Federation. As you mentioned, the federation's official website highlighted that this event was one of the best. Every year, we continue to improve the level of organization. Behind this is a large team effort. Around 250-300 people are involved. This is the result of the joint work of the federation and its partner organizations."
Rasullu expressed confidence that the upcoming World Championship would be organized at a high level: "The World Championship is coming up. The 'Grand Slam' was a test event for us. We are confident that we will organize the World Championship in 2026 at a high level."
The Grand Slam tournament was held at the National Gymnastics Arena from February 14 to 16. Azerbaijani judokas concluded the competition with 5 medals: Zelim Tckaev (81 kg) earned gold, Rashid Mammadaliyev (73 kg) won silver, while Vusal Galandarzada (73 kg), Ahmad Yusifov (60 kg), and Elshan Asadov (66 kg) claimed bronze medals. Azerbaijan was represented by 32 athletes in the tournament.
Idman.biz
