Interview with Rustam Alimli, head coach of the Azerbaijani junior men’s judo team, following their performance at the European Championship in Bratislava, Slovakia, where the team won 2 gold and 1 bronze medal for AZERTAC.
– You won 2 gold and 1 bronze medal at the European Championship in Bratislava. How do you assess your results?
– We hoped for more medals across all competitions, but not everything goes as planned. Nonetheless, we managed to secure first place among the boys at the European Championship. The first day of the tournament was very successful, and we won three medals. Naturally, we had high hopes for our European champion in the 81 kg category, Suleyman Shukurov, who is ranked second in the junior world rankings, but he did not meet our expectations this time. Similarly, our other European champion, Ramazan Ahmadov in the +100 kg category, who has performed strongly in European Cups throughout the year, was also expected to win a medal. But judo is unpredictable, and such things can happen at any time.
– What can you say about two Azerbaijani judokas in the 60 kg and 66 kg categories being placed in the same draw and meeting in the quarterfinals?
– Our main goal at the European Cup in Skopje, North Macedonia, was to gain ranking points, and we achieved that overall. In the European Championship, the Ukrainian team did not participate. The higher-ranked athletes advanced, which led to our two judokas being placed in the same draw. If they had been in different draws, it would have been possible for two Azerbaijani athletes to meet in the final.
– What are your thoughts on the World Championship in Lima, Peru?
– The World Championship is three weeks away and is the most important tournament of the year. There may be changes or reductions in the team roster. After consulting with our performance director, a final decision will be made. It should be remembered that even if an athlete misses a medal at the European Championship, success at the World Championship is still possible. For example, Nihad Mamishov and Jasur Ibadli did not become European champions but have won World Championship titles. The main factor is the athlete’s motivation. We will decide who will go to the World Championship based on their current condition.
– Which judokas do you expect to win medals at the World Championship?
– We can expect gold medals from Nihad Mamishov and Mahammad Musayev. Apart from Nizami Imranov, some are athletes who have moved from the junior to senior level. They are expected to achieve good results in the future, and I believe in that.
Idman.biz
