The Azerbaijan judo team has claimed two gold and two silver medals at the Grand Prix held in Dushanbe.
Eljan Hajiyev (90 kg) triumphed over his teammate Vugar Talibov in the final, bringing home a victory, Idman.biz reports.
Balabay Agayev (60 kg) showed his skills after a long break, while Dzhamal Gamzatkhanov (+100 kg) reached the final of the world judo tour for the second time.
Hajiyev's victory in Dushanbe can be seen as a significant comeback. Just a week earlier, he participated in the European Championship in Podgorica and earned a silver medal after a long recovery from an injury he sustained at the Tokyo Olympics. In Dushanbe, Hajiyev demonstrated his excellent form, winning all four of his matches by early victories, and became the main athlete in the Azerbaijan final.
Vugar Talibov also displayed strong tactical preparation, advancing to the final of the Grand Prix in Antalya as well. The medal in Dushanbe marked his fourth prize in the world judo tour. The warm embrace between the two Azerbaijani judokas after the final, in front of the applause of the entire hall, added a special aura to the tournament.
Murad Fatiyev, who won a bronze medal at the European Championship, also performed well in the 90 kg category.
Balabay Agayev (60 kg) opened his medal account for the year. After winning silver in last year's European Championship but not reaching the podium in recent competitions, he broke his losing streak by winning his fourth Grand Prix title. He defeated the local athlete Mehrzod Sufiev in the final with two throws—first a waza-ari and then an ippon.
Dzhamal Gamzatkhanov (+100 kg) also fought valiantly. His best result until now was reaching the final of the 2024 Baku Grand Prix. In Dushanbe, he earned several brilliant victories, including defeating Uzbekistan’s Utkirbek Turoboyev in the semifinals. Although he lost to Tajikistan's Teimur Rahimov in the final during extra time, the silver medal is a strong indication of his future potential.
Three athletes—Yashar Najafov (66 kg), Suleyman Shukurov (81 kg), and Kanan Nasibov (+100 kg)—finished just shy of the podium, losing in the bronze medal matches.
In the overall standings, Azerbaijan finished second, just behind Tajikistan (4-3-4). We surpassed France (2-1-4) in terms of silver medals. Athletes from 15 countries distinguished themselves at the Grand Prix.
Next weekend, the Azerbaijan team will continue their journey in the world tour with another Grand Prix in Astana.
Zaki Feyzullayev
Idman.biz
