Vice President of the Azerbaijan Judo Federation, Olympic champion Elnur Mammadli, spoke to Report about the national team’s performance at the European Championship in Montenegro, where they earned one silver and four bronze medals.
- Can the team’s results be considered satisfactory?
- Absolutely, it’s a great achievement. Most importantly, we won medals in every weight category, even if they were silver and bronze. We also saw new names emerge, like Yusif Ahmadov (60 kg) and Zelim Tckaev (81 kg), who both claimed their first European bronze. Last year, Eljan Hajiyev won gold at 90 kg, and this time Murad Fatiyev took bronze despite suffering an injury. Zelim Kotsoyev, our Olympic champion, competed for the first time since the Paris Olympics and reached the final against a Georgian silver medalist. In sports, one wins, another loses — but overall, our Olympic success stands above all.
- The women’s team didn’t perform as well…
- Women’s judo is developing. We’re running campaigns like “Girls Look Good in White” to attract more girls to the sport. There are no major results yet, but this isn’t the end. I believe they will soon prove themselves with gold medals at World and European Championships. It just takes time.
- Has head coach Richard Trautmann reported to the federation?
- I see these results as a great achievement. It’s better to have medals across all categories than just one gold. Plus, Hidayat Heydarov and Eljan Hajiyev didn’t even compete. Hidayat missed the event due to illness, but the athlete’s health is our top priority.
- How do you assess Trautmann’s work with the team?
- He’s a good coach and performance director, and it’s positive that he’s continuing his work.
- What’s the latest on Hidayat Heydarov?
- He’s doing well. If all goes smoothly, he’ll compete at the World Championships.
- Murad Fatiyev is out of Worlds due to injury. How big of a loss is that?
- It’s certainly a blow; he’s a strong athlete and a recent European bronze medalist. But the federation is already addressing the situation, and he’s undergoing treatment. Our main goal is to have a fully prepared team for the 2028 Olympics. Fatiyev will follow a special recovery program and rejoin the squad once fit.
- What are your expectations for the World Championships?
- I never predict medal counts, because in judo anything can happen. In other sports, you can come back from being four points down — not in judo. One moment you’re ahead, the next you lose by ippon. We expect strong performances and gold medals, but other countries are preparing too. I trust our athletes will represent Azerbaijan with honor.
- You recently received an award from the European Judo Union. How does that feel?
- Of course, I’m very happy. Hidayat Heydarov was named Europe’s top judoka, and Richard Trautmann was named best coach. We spare no effort in supporting our athletes. I’m proud of the achievements of our national team, though awards matter less to me than the success of our athletes.
Idman.biz
