"During the training camp, we fought with Turpal Djoukaev several times. That's why he tried to limit my opportunities and go on an active attack. He didn't give me his left hand, but I was able to do what I wanted. I was called to the next round with the "Golden Score".
Azerbaijani judoka Rashid Mammadaliyev (73 kg), who made his debut at the European Championship in Montpellier, told Idman.biz.
The member of the team defeated Turpal Djoukaev from Finland and lost in extra time to Lasha Shavdatuashvili from Georgia, winner of all the Olympic medals, in the 1/8 finals. Azerbaijan's fighter said that it is possible to fight with his opponent: "I almost didn't let him show the fight he wanted, I kept him at a distance. In the extra time, he counter-attacked, but the score was not opened. Then I decided to change the tactics a little. This turned out to be a mistake, because in a close fight, Shavdatuashvili feels his opponent perfectly and dictates his fight. So I fell into science. Unfortunately, I lost."
He also shared his feelings about his debut at the European Championship: "All the leaders of the continent are here. Some of them even participated in the "Grand Slam" competition, and all the good ones came to Montpellier. In this sense, performing here was a great experience for me."
Rashid's next competition will be the open Oceania Tournament, which will be held in Perth on November 10-11.
Zaki Feyzullayev
Idman.biz
