"I am grateful to the leadership of the Azerbaijan Kickboxing Federation (AKF) for my appointment. I will do my best to justify their trust."
Idman.biz reports that newly appointed AKF Vice President Eduard Mammadov shared his thoughts with AZERTAC.
The decorated athlete emphasized his commitment to his new role: "As you know, I am still an active athlete. Last year, I won the world championship in the master category. My students have become champions in the Islamic Solidarity Games and the European Games. Thanks to these achievements, I have been entrusted with the role of vice president at AKF. This increases my responsibility even more. Previously, I was only involved as an athlete and coach, but now I will also represent the federation at an official level."
Mammadov highlighted upcoming strategic and tactical changes in the training of young kickboxers: "So far, we have seen successful performances from our athletes in international competitions. However, our primary goal is to prepare young and junior kickboxers even better for future tournaments. We will pay special attention to those who return from competitions without medals, ensuring they stay motivated. Not everyone who engages in sports becomes a world or European champion, but at the very least, they stay away from bad habits. Our mission is to raise not only strong athletes but also honorable individuals for Azerbaijan."
The 47-year-old also expressed his desire to bring experienced kickboxing specialists back into the sport: "Although we haven’t named anyone yet, we plan to utilize the expertise of these professionals in the future. We will prioritize local coaches. Additionally, we aim to organize international kickboxing tournaments in Azerbaijan, which will serve as a great motivation for our young athletes."
As the federation's representative for the Baku region, Mammadov outlined his responsibilities: "I will gather information about clubs and coaches in the capital and surrounding areas. These coaches will be accredited by AKF, and we will organize various competitions. Our ultimate goal is to enhance Azerbaijan’s presence in international kickboxing."
Finally, Mammadov expressed gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev for his continuous support of the sport: "Although kickboxing is an Olympic sport, our President has always given us attention and support. A strong country will always have strong athletes."
Idman.biz
