JUDO FIGHTERS CONQUER LISBON,

The European Judo Cup in Lisbon brought two medals for the Azerbaijani national team. Elxan Mammadov (90 kg) and Kifayat Qasimova (57 kg) won silver and bronze medals respectively in Portugal, gaining places to compete in Beijing. Also qualifying for the Olympic Games were Ramil Qasimov (66 kg), Mehman Azizov (81 kg) and Movlud Miraliyev (100 kg); their success was more limited but they achieved their goal.

The performance of Elkhan Mammadov, who has joined the ranks of the elite of continental judo in just a couple of years, was worthy of commendation. Particularly remarkable was his semi-final bout with the world champion, Georgian Irakli Tserekidze, who had recently beaten him twice. In Portugal, however, the Azerbaijani judoka put in an impressive return performance and went on to contest the top award. However, the semi-final took a lot out of him and well-known Dutch judoka Mark Housinga, who had previously lost to Mammadov during the Super Cup in Moscow, got the upper hand in the final. Nonetheless, the result should increase Elxan's self-confidence, especially given that the Olympic challenge is just around the corner. 

Three consecutive medals 

Kifayat Qasimova, in her turn, opened a new page in the history of Azerbaijani judo, becoming the first-ever judoka to claim three consecutive medals at continental tournaments. Her participation in the contest was in doubt due to a shoulder injury she sustained two weeks before the competition. Qasimova had barely trained, but the Euro-2008 tournament was too important to miss. In Lisbon she confirmed her place among the leaders in the European Judo Union (EJU) ratings, almost making the final. Just one step away from the final she faced Austrian Sabrina Filmozer, whom she had previously repeatedly beaten, but this time her rival was victorious. Filmozer made the decisive move five seconds from the end of the match, depriving Gasymova of the lead and, accordingly, the opportunity to win silver. 

The Azerbaijani athlete had also lost to the eventual gold medallist, who sealed a confident win in the final over the seemingly invincible Spanish athlete Isabel Fernandez (a participant in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona). As for Qasimova, it is worth mentioning that she seized the opportunity to claim bronze brilliantly, beating Julia Kvantavalli of Italy in the match for third place. Qasimova thus took bronze at the European Cup for the second time, while her best achievement at the tournament was the silver she won two years ago. All this illustrates the outstanding consistency of the Azerbaijani athlete. 

"Frankly, when I looked at the draw, I realized that I could make good progress. So it happened. Third place, to some extent, did not come as a big surprise," said Gasymova, hinting at the injury. 

"In the current EJU ratings, I am among the top five who are going to Beijing. I am quite high in the rankings. Even prior to Lisbon, one could say with 99% certainty that I would be going to the Olympics, especially given the fact that I had been a prize winner at a number of qualifying competitions, including world cups and world super cups, scoring points and improving my position in the rankings. The only thing left to do was to confirm my qualification at the European Cup, which is a very important start."

Other Azerbaijani judoka did not succeed in getting among the medals, against expectations. Elnur Mammadli, for example, had come to Portugal as the world's top competitor, considering the results of the latest World Cup in Brazil, where he claimed silver. In Lisbon, however, he could not beat Daniel Fernandez of France, whom he had previously beaten in the Euro 2006 final. His opponent was luckier this time and Mammadli was left outside the top three.

For many judoka the European Cup was merely a test ahead of the Beijing Olympics, where motivation will be much higher. Mammadli agreed with this, saying he would head to China with total conviction. 

"In this sport everything is unpredictable. You may win today but lose, just the same, tomorrow. This is to be expected and all you can do is be in your best shape for the most important challenges in order to attain the desired result. So I will state my case at the Olympics," said Mammadli.

Special award 

As for silver medallist Elxan Mammadov, the result achieved in Lisbon was the first major success in his career. 

"I am particularly delighted that my hard work and that of the coaches was not in vain. We have travelled a long road in the past two years, and I am happy to have won a medal at Euro-2008. Of course I have been in the top three at World Cups and Super Cups before, but the European championship is something special. There are no easy opponents there.

"I am also delighted that in Lisbon I finally clinched my place in Beijing and will now take part in the Olympics," Mammadov went on.

He noted that the semi-final bout with world champion Irakli Tserekidze was a turning point at Euro-2008. 

"True, I have lost to Irakli twice of late - at the world championship in Brazil and the world cup in Georgia. He is a very skilled athlete who always puts up a tough fight against his opponents and matches with him are always dramatic. That's the way it should be because he is world champion. However, he has some weak points too. Moreover, having gained experience in fighting Irakli, I knew how to compete with him. So, I managed to catch him off-guard in a counter-offensive and won. But this victory took a lot out of me and I subsequently lacked energy when I faced Mark Housinga in the final."

During the crucial bout, Mammadov made a move that was not counted by the referee. He held the opponent in the parterre, and one of the referees indicated that he could proceed, but the main referee called a halt. 

"Mark's tremendous experience and his titles are mounting. He has repeatedly become European and world champion, and won medals at the Olympic Games. In all these measures, Housinga is superior, as I have just begun competing at adult level," Mammadov concluded.

However, Azerbaijan has a record number of judoka going to the Olympics. The national team has never been so well represented, which indicates that Azerbaijani athletes stand a greater chance of winning medals, although the Olympics is a special event and success at the tournament depends not only class and skill but also on psychological preparation. 

The Azerbaijani judo wrestlers' success was noted by the head of the department of sports at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mirkamil Rahimov. He stressed that they have attained a new level of competitiveness. 

"The truth is revealed in comparison. You can judge for yourself. While we were represented by three athletes in Athens, six will compete at the forthcoming Olympic Games. This is a major step forward."

Rahimov emphasized that the head coach of the Azerbaijani team, Agayar Axundzada, enjoys complete confidence and the results of his work speak volumes.

"One of the key indicators of the coaches' success is the number of athletes who have qualified for the Olympics. The Games are a competition where anything can happen. We might gain six medals or come back with nothing," said Rahimov. 

He added that the latest success of Kifayat Qasimova could set an example to the next generation and promote the popularity of women's judo in the country. 

"Kifayat is performing just great, and it is no fluke that, after some time, Azerbaijan will again be represented in women's judo at the Olympics," said Rahimov. 

For the time being, the Azerbaijani judoka have headed off to rest in Kislovodsk, after which they are to take part in the Super Cup in Moscow, to be followed by a meet in France. Thus, the national team has no time to waste, as the Olympics are coming up soon.