LONG WAY TO VICTORY

A dream cherished by Azerbaijani taekwondo fighters for many years has at last come true. Champion of Europe Radik Isayev has won a gold medal at a world championship for the first time since the success of Niyamaddin Pasayev in 2001.

The 22nd World Taekwondo Championship held in Chelyabinsk gathered 875 athletes from 140 countries. The national team of Azerbaijan has won only one medal but the value of that medal is a great comfort against the background of the team's unsuccessful, on the whole, performance. 

In his first match, Radik Isaev, weight category 87 kg, defeated Imtiaz Ibney Ali from Bangladesh 19:0. Then Kai Chang from Chinese Taipei succumbed to him, too, 13:3. In the quarterfinals, Radik Isayev defeated M'Bar N'Diaye of France whom he had beaten in the finals of the European championship. In the semi-finals, the Azerbaijani fighter faced 2013 world champion Rafael Castillo from Cuba. Being in a good shape, Isayev overpowered the formidable opponent and was through to the finals. In the fight for the golden medal of the World Championship, the Azeri athlete proved to be stronger than Uzbek fighter Jasur Baykuziyev. Let it be recalled that before then, the only gold medal gained by Azerbaijani taekwondo fighters was won by Niyamaddin Pasayev at the 2001 World Cup in South Korea. 

Radik Isayev's title as champion is especially noteworthy against the backdrop of the fact that, strong as it is, the Russian national team won no gold medal for its collection. Showing steadily good results at prestigious international competitions, the European champion's victory in Chelyabinsk was just another proof that he has well-grounded claims to be called the strongest. 

In his interview with R+, new world champion Radik Isayev has shared his feelings after his brilliant victory. "My heart is brimming over with joy. I am feeling great. I have the best impressions of the championship. All the matches at the world cup were difficult. But my bout with Cuba's Rafael Castillo in the semifinals proved to be the hardest. After that win, I came to believe that I stood a real chance of winning a gold medal. But I was not 100 per cent certain: my adversary was not a week one either. As you approach the winners' podium, you have to face ever stronger opponents. As regards fatigue, all participants suffer from it equally. I kept it in mind that Azerbaijani athletes had not climbed on to the top tier of the podium at world championships for a long time. I received moral support from both Niyamaddin Pasayev and the entire team. Fans' support has played a great role in my success in Chelyabinsk. They helped me to do well in all my matches. Our next trial is the forthcoming European Games in Baku. We'll be preparing for them intensively. We are winding ourselves up for an effort to achieve the highest results. Like any athlete, I see my main goal in the Rio Olympics. But I don't like making premature plans," Radik Isaev said. 

Alongside the honorary title gained, we should also admit that we have serious problems in most of the weight categories. Ilkin Sahbazov and Summer Games participant Farida Azizova, as well as mercenaries invited to the national team fell short of expectations. The athletes have the potential to take part in prestigious competitions but they have practically no chances of winning medals.

The chief coach of the national team, Rza Mehmandost, also avows errors. "When departing for the competitions, I reckoned on successful performance of several athletes. And I had the right to that because the training standards of our taekwondo fighters were at the highest level thanks to the excellent conditions created by the federation. Radik Isayev's win put an end to our 14 years' expectations. I must particularly mention our sportsman' top-notch technical skills and swiftness. Today, Radik is one of the strongest taekwondo fighters in the world. And he confirmed this by winning a gold medal. As regards our other athletes, we made a number of mistakes. Some of them failed to overcome their anxiety. Others lost out at an early stage thereby showing that they are unprepared for big events. I am sure that all the taekwondo fighters will be ready for the European Games. We are already going to start our training sessions as scheduled. It is our duty to make a decent performance for our own fans. We'll be represented at the Games in all of the weight categories".

Niyamaddin Pasayev, vice-president of the Azerbaijan Taekwondo Federation and the first world champion throughout the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), has also congratulated the fans on the gold medal. "First of all, I want to congratulate our fans on the victory that has been won. Fourteen years after, Azerbaijan has again experienced the joy of being the champion. This success is the result of many years of hard work. Both the federation and the coaches have put a lot of effort into the team. After the World Championship, Radik must have his say at the European Games. Hopefully, all our team will turn in a good performance and we will not have to wait for the next champion that long," Pasayev said. 

The taekwondo events at the European games will start on 16 June. All matches will be held in Crystal Hall.