The interview of the head coach of the Azerbaijan national team in freestyle wrestling, Khetag Gazyumov, to Idman.biz
- The Azerbaijan Freestyle Wrestling Championship has ended. Who were the athletes who pleased and surprised you the most?
- The competition in the 61 kg category was not bad. We saw new names. I can mention Nureddin Novruzov, who won the gold medal, and Ruslan Abdullayev, whom he defeated in the final. They wrestled well. I liked it very much. At the same time, every athlete in the top three in this weight made a good impression. In 65 kg, Ziraddin Bayramov was among the prize winners. By winning the gold medal, Ali Rahimzade showed that he is the leader of this weight. Athletes at 70 kg are also very strong. In 74 kg, Jabrayil Gajiyev proved that he is one of the leaders as the champion. We'll check it out later. Turan Bayramov shows himself better in the international arena. We expect the same from Jabrayil. Orkhan Abasov, the winner of the military world championship in 79 kg, also spoke. He defeated Ali Tsokayev, winner of the World Youth Championship. I should also mention Ashraf Ashirov. Magommed-Takhir Khaniyev performed well in 86 kg.
- What were the moments that disappointed you?
- I was expecting a tougher fight in some weights. Heavyweight and middleweight competition is very low. Islam Bazarganov won in 57 kg. We would like to see new names. Islam's rival Elman Aghayev was not bad. Hajimurad Magomedsaidov in 97 kg and Vahid Galayev in 125 kg have no rivals. There are young athletes, but they have little experience. There are moments to be happy and to think about.
- Wouldn't the participation of some of the leading wrestlers of our national team increase the competition in the Azerbaijan Championship?
- Yes, Haji Aliyev and Aliabbas Rzazade did not speak. They are our leaders. These wrestlers could increase the competition a bit. But unfortunately, due to various reasons, we could not follow them.
- Currently, the most important thing that sports fans are thinking about is the licenses to be won for the Paris-2024 Summer Olympic Games. There is 1 qualification in freestyle wrestling. How many do you think you can make this number as a maximum?
- We will try to get as many licenses as possible. But I will not assume. I can promise that we will do our best to get maximum license. We will show all our strength in the qualifying competitions to be held in Baku and Istanbul.
- What are your expectations from Haji Aliyev, the leader of the national team?
- Haji Aliyev is a legend. He has written his name with golden letters in Azerbaijani sports. He won the title of winner in the last World Military Championship. We plan to involve him in training for the Olympic qualifying competitions. I hope that he will reach the maximum of his form before these competitions.
Emin Aga
Idman.biz
