Karate athlete Madina Sadygova recently wrote her name into the history of Azerbaijani sport by becoming the first Azerbaijani woman to win a gold medal at the European Karate Championships. She has since become a symbol of strength, determination and inspiration for thousands of young female athletes across the country.
In an interview with İdman.Biz, Sadygova spoke about her performance at the European Championships, her future ambitions and memories from her childhood.
- Several days have passed since the final at the European Championships. Have the emotions settled down yet?
- The emotions still have not faded. I worked hard for years and spent many sleepless nights for these feelings. This medal is not just a victory, it is a reward for years of hard work.
- How difficult was your path to the gold medal at the European Championships?
- Honestly, I had a very difficult group. It included athletes who were champions and medallists from the latest Karate 1 Premier League tournament. Moreover, my semi-final opponent had beaten me 5:4 at the previous competition. This time I defeated her by the same score. For me, it was revenge that gave me even more confidence.
In the final, I was losing 4:2 at one point. For a moment, it even felt like the title was slipping away. But then I told myself that I had to fight until the end. At that moment I was thinking only about hearing the Azerbaijani anthem played for my victory. That thought gave me extra strength.
- Last year in one of your interviews you said that you believed you would make history. What gave you such confidence back then?
- Yes, because at the last World Championships I reached the quarter-finals but unfortunately finished without a medal. After that day, I made a promise to myself. My personal coach, the head coach of the national team and my team-mate Asiman Gurbanli always believed in me. He constantly told me: “You are an athlete capable of becoming a champion.” That belief passed on to me as well. Now my next big goal is to become champion of the European Games and the World Championships.
- We would like to get to know you better. Tell us where and how you grew up.
- My father was originally from the village of Jardam in the Aghdash region. But because he worked in Ganja, I was born there. I grew up in a military family and from childhood was raised in an atmosphere of discipline and love for the homeland. My love for karate appeared after we moved to Baku. I saw our neighbour Musa wearing a karate kimono and became very inspired. From that day my journey in this sport began under the guidance of Seymur Khudaverdiyev.
- You dedicated your victory at the European Championships to your father. What role did he play in shaping you as a person and an athlete?
- I was still a child when I lost my father, but many memories remain with me forever. He always taught us to love our country, our flag, our anthem and Karabakh. For me, he was a real hero. I inherited my love for the homeland and my people from him, and I see it as his legacy.
- You also coach children. How do you think your success will influence the next generation of karate athletes?
- Yes, I have been coaching children for more than a year now. Honestly, these are very special feelings. When I see them winning medals at competitions, sometimes I feel even happier than after my own victories. I believe a strong new generation of Azerbaijani karate athletes will grow up in the future.
I also think my historic victory will become a huge motivation, especially for young girls. Every Azerbaijani sportswoman deserves such success. But this path is long, difficult and requires great responsibility. The main thing is not to stop halfway and not to pay attention to people trying to pull you down. Young athletes should remember that one day they too can write their names into history in golden letters.
