AFTER ABU-DHABI LONDON DRAWS NEARER

The performance of the Azerbaijani judo team at the Grand Prix in Abu-Dhabi was successful both from the point of view of medals and the number of qualifying points gained. First to shine for us was Ramila Usubova. Appearing in the 63-kg category, she scored 120 qualifying points as well as winning a silver medal. And Olympic champion Elnur Mammadli won the bronze in the 90-kg category.

As well as the successes achieved, the championship also showed that some Azerbaijani judo fighters, such as Elxan Mammadov (81-kg) and Kifayat Qasimova (57-kg)  are still performing below par. But whereas Elhan has already booked his ticket to London and the outcome of his match meant nothing, it is difficult to explain Kifayat's poor showing in the run-up to the summer Olympics. After winning the silver medal at the World Cup last summer, Kifayat has done nothing. On the contrary, after failing at the World Championships in Paris, this seasoned campaigner has placed herself in a difficult situation, and now she will have to achieve a maximum score in the remaining competitions if she is to win her ticket to London.

The failure of Ilqar Muskiyev (60 kg), who lost on his tournament debut to a weak opponent from Saudi Arabia, could be explained by tiredness. The young fighter has been performing at adult competitions all this year. Having won six medals during the season and achieving a bronze at the World Championship, he found himself in the spotlight. The crowded schedule of the competition was too much for Ilqar at Abu-Dhabi and so the coaches are likely to give the youngster a breather until the end of the year. Having been in the top ten in the world ratings, Ilgar has almost booked himself a ticket to the summer Olympics. So a short break may be seen as perfectly normal. Like Ilqar, Tarlan Karimov also did poorly in the 66-kg category and she will have to try and resolve her problem of booking a place next year.

Against these failures, the coaches could not fail to be pleased by the performance of Nicat Sihalizada.  He was prevented from winning a medal in the United Arab Emirates only by an injury which he picked up at the start of the tournament and prevented him from giving his best.

Although Elxan Mammadov (81 kg) beat the Russian Murat Khabachirov and the Italian Francesco Bruyere, as usual he bit off more than he could chew: after going all out in the first bout, he encountered serious problems in the latter stages.

Ramila Usubova could be said to have been Azerbaijan's heroine of the tournament in Abu-Dhabi. Having won the silver against strong opponents, Ramila proved that it was no fluke that she won the bronze at the World Championships. If she continues to give everything in training, there can be real hopes for an Olympic medal for her.

Team captain Elnur Mammadli again won praise. He listened to the coaches' advice, decided not to lose weight and tried a new category. By preparing for the Olympics in the 81-kg category, Elnur has proved that he can also do well at 90 kg. Although he lost to the Swede Marcus Nyman, Elnur's chances of reaching the final were rated quite a lot. However, the incorrect distribution of forces prevented this and as a result Elnur returned to Baku with just the bronze medal. Still, the experiment could be said to have been a success. However, he shouldn't remain in the new weight category but go back to the old one (81 kg), in which the sporting community expects him to get an Olympic medal.

Next up for our judo players is a warm-up meeting in Malaga, followed by the Grand Prix in Amsterdam and a tournament in Tokyo in December in the "Golden Helmet" series. The squad that will travel to London is already being selected. The inclusion of Elnur Mammadli and Elxan Mammadov was already known at the beginning of the year. Now, the names of Ilqar Muskiyev and Tarlan Karimov may be added to that. Kifayat Gasimova, Ramila Usubova and Elmar Qasimov all have good chances of booking their tickets.

So, Azerbaijan's judo fighters are close to sending a strong team to London. Once the team has been chosen, special training gets under way.