“I think I have either already ended my career or will continue only if I find strong motivation. At the moment, however, I do not see anything motivating enough to keep going.”
This was stated by renowned Azerbaijani karateka Asiman Gurbanli in an interview with İdman.Biz. Gurbanli is a multiple-time medalist at the European and World Championships, as well as the European and Islamic Solidarity Games.
“There is a lot that I cannot say openly. And even if I did, nothing would change. So perhaps it is better if things remain as they are. I hope that through my results I have already achieved something as an athlete,” he added.
Gurbanli recently returned from the European Championships, where his campaign ended after he suffered a knockout in his third bout. Due to health concerns, he was unable to continue competing and was subsequently withdrawn from the tournament.
According to the karateka, he is now feeling well:
“Unfortunately, this is how the European Championships ended for me. Of course, like at every tournament, I went there aiming for success. But because of a knee injury, I was unable to prepare properly.”
Asiman Gurbanli also praised the performance of Azerbaijan’s women’s national team and commented on the men’s squad, which returned from the European Championships without medals:
“The fact that I was withdrawn from the competition also had an impact. One way or another, the team became weaker. Our national team is currently going through a renewal process. The previous generation also consisted of young athletes, but it was a very strong team. It included World and European medalists, and many of them were considered favorites.
However, for various reasons, they all ended their careers. Each of them had major goals ahead, including plans related to their future. Today, they represent our country in different fields, and they are all doing well.
As for the current young team, everything is fine overall. They simply lack experience for now, but that will improve with time. I hope these athletes will make a name for themselves on the world stage and will not lose their motivation and desire to develop.”
