LONG-AWAITED PREMIERE

The Azerbaijani women's 3x3 basketball team has achieved a significant triumph. The squad secured a spot in the summer Olympic Games in Paris at the qualifying tournament in Hong Kong.

Consequent Victories

The national basketball team of Azerbaijan faced off against Hungary in the semifinals. The squad, comprising Tiffany Hayes, Alexandra Mollenhauer, Dina Ulyanova, and Mercedes Walker, who finished second in Group B, defeated their opponents with a score of 21:19. In the final, they were up against the Polish team. The main game ended with a score of 16:16, but in overtime, our team outplayed Poland (18:17) and secured their license to the Paris Olympic Games. Thus, Azerbaijan will be represented at the Summer Olympics in basketball for the first time.

It's worth noting that in their group, the Azerbaijani team beat Chile (17:14), Mongolia (13:12), and lost to the Netherlands (11:15).

The foundation for this historic success was laid a year ago. The Azerbaijan Basketball Federation decided to field two teams in the 3x3 competitions. They joined the competition from the second stage in Astara. After securing four victories at different stages, the national team made it to the final. However, to get to the Olympic Games, they had to successfully compete in the licensing tournaments in Hong Kong and Debrecen. The basketball players accomplished this task in Hong Kong and received the license earlier to the enjoyment of their fans.

17 Licenses

The qualification of Azerbaijani 3x3 basketball players for the Paris Summer Olympic Games is a first in the history of national sports.

Chingiz Huseynzade, Vice-President of the National Olympic Committee of Azerbaijan, in his interview with R+, called the women's 3x3 team's performance a great success: "We now have 17 licenses. That's quite a good result. It's hard to predict exactly how much this number will increase. Any athlete who has obtained a license can perform successfully at the Olympics. They have already proven their strength by qualifying for Paris-2024. We also hope for surprises in the disciplines where we will be represented for the first time. Our girls have always achieved results in team sports. It's also worth mentioning the achievements of the women's handball and volleyball teams. But the participation of basketball players in the Olympics is a first in team sports. And it's a great success for our sport."

Fantastic Performance

Mercedes Walker, a member of the Azerbaijani women's 3x3 basketball team, rated the Olympic berth for the Summer Olympic Games in Paris as the highest achievement of her career: "This is a historic result. It's simply fantastic. Before the tournament, we understood that there were no weak teams here. Victory went to those who fought better on the court. The semifinal and final matches were incredibly intense. Throughout my entire career, I have never felt such excitement. The players on the team have been performing together since 2014. We are proud of our achievement. The inscription 'Azerbaijan' on our shirts motivated us in the game. This is my second homeland. I am happy that I could bring joy to our people."

Vugar Azimov, General Secretary of the Azerbaijan Basketball Federation, said that the victory in the qualifying tournament in Hong Kong would contribute to the development of this sport in the future: "Our goal was to win the tournament. And we did it. I am very happy to realise the dream. In the first match, we were somewhat helped by an injury to a player from the Chilean team. The second game against Mongolia turned out to be very tense. Tiffany Hayes was injured and did not play in the third game against the Netherlands. We decided to save her for the next meeting. The semifinal and final were real thrillers. After Alexandra Mollenhauer's decisive throw in the final, our joy knew no bounds. I don't even remember what happened after that. Only later did I see on video what happened. We achieved the maximum. The main task set by the federation was to win an Olympic license. And we were able to solve it."

Azimov reported that the national team includes five basketball players, but only four will go to the Olympics: "There are still competitions before the Games where the Azerbaijani team will perform. In particular, the Women's World Series tournaments will take place. Gabala will host one of them in June. The coaching staff will once again look at all the basketball players in action and make a choice on the eve of the Olympic Games."

It should be noted that the Azerbaijan Basketball Federation organises leagues among both men and women. Regular participation of national teams in international tournaments allows the young squad to gain experience. Conducting training camps in the regions throughout the year helps implement projects aimed at preparing teenagers and improving the qualifications of children's basketball coaches.