The opening ceremony of the European Judo Cup for juniors took place in Quba.
Idman.biz, citing AZERTAC, reports that the Executive Vice President of the Azerbaijan Judo Federation (AJF), Rashad Rasullu, wished success to the athletes during his speech at the ceremony.
Rasullu expressed gratitude to the European Judo Union (EJU) for their trust, saying:
“This tournament holds special significance for us. As the AJF, we are taking purposeful steps to promote judo in the regions and develop sports infrastructure. Hosting the tournament in the regions also aligns with President Ilham Aliyev’s directives on advancing sports across the country.”
Minister of Youth and Sports Farid Gayibov wished success to the participating nations and encouraged the athletes to always stay strong. He emphasized the high level of state support for sports in Azerbaijan and noted that organizing international competitions in the regions will greatly boost the development of sports.
EJU Sports Commissioner Albert Gmeiner conveyed greetings from the EJU President, Laszlo Toth, and said:
“On behalf of the entire judo family, I extend my heartfelt thanks to the Azerbaijan Judo Federation for organizing this event. The Guba European Cup is of great importance in terms of its geographic reach and the development of young athletes. I’m confident that in a few years, we will see some of these athletes on the podium at European and world championships. I am proud to officially declare the Guba European Cup 2025 open.”
The ceremony concluded with the National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Notably, Azerbaijan is represented at the competition—which will conclude on May 4—by 141 athletes (100 boys, 41 girls).
Idman.biz
