"On December 24, we had a great meeting. The President brought the sports community together. As he mentioned, this tradition has been going on for 27 years."
Farid Gayibov, Minister of Youth and Sports, stated in an interview with journalists, Idman.biz reports.
During the meeting, Gayibov reflected on 2024, calling it a successful year for Azerbaijani sports. "Frankly, I don’t know of any country where the head of state meets with athletes at the end of each year to reward and honor them. The highest recognition was given to our athletes by the President. The most important event of the year was the Olympic Games. Compared to previous Olympics, I can confidently say that we achieved very successful results in Paris. As you know, all countries experienced the pandemic, and due to this, some of our athletes ended their careers. However, new athletes emerged. Naturally, it takes time for them to mature. By the way, for the first time, we were represented in 15 sports at the Paris Olympics, including some new sports for us. One sport I would like to highlight is trampoline gymnastics. I emphasize this sport because, with the right approach, we can achieve great results. Trampoline gymnastics started developing in Azerbaijan 10 years ago. Previously, athletes from Russia represented us in this sport. Alongside Russian and Belarusian athletes, there were others who represented us at the European Games. We also started developing youth groups, and from those groups, Seljan Mahsudova earned an Olympic qualification after 10 years. There are only 16 spots for trampoline gymnastics at the Olympics, and traditionally, countries with a strong background in the sport receive two spots. So, qualifying was not easy. It’s a great achievement that we had a gymnast from Azerbaijan among the 16."
According to the Minister, the achievements so far have been satisfying: "As the President mentioned, we now have good results in new sports as well. Of course, everyone wishes for even greater success. The results we achieved in the last Olympics were highly appreciated by President Ilham Aliyev. These accomplishments satisfy us as the Ministry of Youth and Sports. I especially want to highlight Hidayat Heydarov's achievements. In one year, he became both European, world, and Olympic champion. I don't know any other athlete in Azerbaijan who has won three prestigious competitions in one year. Such athletes will be great role models for others. We believe that in the coming years, we will see more athletes like him."
Idman.biz
