The European Cadet Judo Cup held in Guba served as a key selection event for the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) and the European Championships.
This was confirmed by Emin Iskandarov, head coach of Azerbaijan’s national cadet judo team, in an interview with Report, Idman.biz reports.
Iskandarov praised the tournament’s organization, noting the strong competition: “The participation of athletes from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Georgia raised the level of the event. It was a selection tournament for the EYOF and the European Championships. While the main squad is already determined, we made final decisions for a few weight categories. Almost all medalists from the national championships competed in Guba. Most of our top athletes delivered results. We also had a large contingent because athletes who placed 5th–7th nationally were included, and two of them managed to win medals. Overall, it was a valuable experience for everyone.”
The coach highlighted Russia as Azerbaijan’s main rival: “We mostly faced Russian competitors in the final rounds. We also gave younger athletes born in 2009 a chance to gain experience.”
Looking ahead, Iskandarov expressed confidence about the upcoming EYOF and European Championships, set for June in North Macedonia: “Based on our preparations and the athletes’ form, we’re hopeful for strong results. But of course, this is sport—anything can happen. We aim to win even more medals at the upcoming tournaments.”
Notably, Azerbaijan won 18 medals (3 gold, 6 silver, and 9 bronze) at the European Cup, finishing second in the overall team standings. The delegation featured 141 athletes (100 boys and 41 girls).
Idman.biz
