Renowned Azerbaijani karateka Irina Zaretska won her first international medal since becoming a mother.
Recently, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medalist claimed the silver medal at the World Games in Chengdu, China. Remarkably, Zaretska achieved this milestone in front of her one-year-old daughter, who accompanies her to almost all major competitions.
In an exclusive interview with İdman.biz, Irina Zaretska spoke about her recent success at the World Games, her daughter’s support, and her future plans.
This is your first medal since giving birth. How do you feel?
Indeed, this is my first medal at such a major competition since becoming a mother. Of course, I feel immense pride for the work I’ve done. I’m back among the world’s elite. I can’t help but be happy with the form I brought to the World Games. It shows how professional I am in my approach and the level of my ambitions.
Which match at the World Games stood out the most for you?
There were no easy fights at the World Games because all opponents were top-level karate athletes. To compete, one had to earn a license, so the best eight athletes in each weight category were present.
The two matches that stood out most to me were against an Indonesian competitor, whom I defeated 10:0, and the semifinal against a Japanese athlete, which I won early with a score of 11:3. By the way, I had faced the Indonesian karateka at the 2023 World Championship, winning 5:5, and now 10:0. That is truly inspiring, it shows I am moving in the right direction.
Regarding the final I lost, I have reviewed the footage and saw the good form I was in. The loss was simply due to tactical mistakes, which are easy to correct.
After your success at the World Games, you posted touching photos on social media with your daughter. Was this the first time she watched you compete?
This is not the first tournament in my daughter’s presence. Previously, there were two Premier League stages in Egypt and Morocco when she was eight months old. For me, those tournaments were warm-ups. That was the first time my daughter got to see karate live and witness how cool her mom is.
I can’t say exactly how she reacted to my performance because she was with my husband in the stands. They were probably cheering and worrying for me (laughs). I, however, was fully focused on my matches.
But Mia always reacts very emotionally to competitions. When we cheered for our friends, she shouted “kia” and mimicked strikes. She also often attends my training sessions, and she really enjoys the sport. I love that she enjoys it.
How difficult was it to get back in shape after maternity leave?
Pregnancy is a very demanding process, both physically and mentally. I believe all women deserve respect for that. Getting back into shape after maternity leave required a lot of effort, time, and perseverance. But my husband, my coach, and I had a clear plan, and as you can see, our professional approach allowed me to deliver world-class results. I’m proud I managed to go through this journey.
By the way, on the path of recovery after maternity leave, I want to specially thank my coach and mentor Yashar Bashirov, he, as always, believes in me and supports me throughout the process. It’s a pity he couldn’t attend the World Games because I know his authority in the world karate federation is very high, and perhaps his presence would have given me even more confidence.
And of course, I want to thank the president of the Federation, Ulvi Guliyev, for trusting my professionalism and supporting me.
What are your future plans?
Now we are preparing for the World Championship, which will take place at the end of November. Performances at the CIS Games and the Islamic Games are also planned. So there are quite a few plans ahead, and all of them are ambitious.
Teymur Tushiyev
Idman.biz
