KEEPING AHEAD

This year will be remarkable for the world sport community in terms of the number of licenses to take part in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Azerbaijani fans place high hopes in karate, which is now included in the Olympic program, and our national team. Azerbaijani karatekas have always demonstrated successful performances at various European and world tournaments. Now they are rigorously preparing for the main competition of the planet.

At the end of 2018, head coach of the Azerbaijani national karate team changed. Currently the holder of this title is the 50-year-old Turkish specialist Bahattin Kandaz. The training career of the winner of European and world championships started in 2006. Since 2014, Kandaz has been a coach of a club in Basel. Several students of Kandaz have become winners of continental and world championships. Four months ago, the Turkish specialist was invited to work in the UK, but he preferred Azerbaijan.

Our interview with Mr. Kandaz started with his assessment of the results of the Parisian Premier League stage in karate 1. The first international karate tournament was held in Paris on the last day of January. "Team leader Rafael Aghayev (75 kg) started the season successfully. Despite injuries, he reached the final stage of the tournament winning the silver medal. Rafael was recognized as one of the best athletes of the past season, becoming the winner of the Grand Winners Award established by the World Karate Federation (WKF). Japanese ambassador to France, Masato Kitero, President of the WKF, Antonio Espinos, and General Secretary of WKF, Toshihisa Nagura, presented the awards to the winners. In general, the open tournament, also known as the small world championship, has gathered 776 karate players from 82 countries. Azerbaijani referee of international category Jahangir Babayev was one of the referees at the final stage of the tournament. Next important tournament of local karatekas will be the Dubai stage of the Premier League in Karate 1," Mr. Kandaz said.

Kandaz is proud of working for the Azerbaijani national team: "It is a great honour for me to work with the Azerbaijani National Karate Team known to the whole world. I will do my best to protect the image of Azerbaijani karate and justify the confidence entrusted to me. All countries are trying to develop this popular sport. First medals will find their owners in 2020, at the Tokyo Olympic Games. The change of some rules has given new impetus to the development of karate. It is a great success to see the inclusion of karate to the list of Olympic sports."

Kandaz will try to improve competition in the team. "Azerbaijan loves karate; you have many strong athletes. However, there are disadvantages as well. We will try to strengthen the team composition before the Olympics. Of course, the names will remain the same. We will only try to increase the level of their training. In Tokyo, it will be hard to earn a medal. Therefore, our athletes must be ready to cope with the task in all weight categories included in the program," Bahattin Kandaz said.

Kandaz underlined that the strongest karatekas of the world are looking for ways to stop the triumphal procession of the five-time world champion and the eleven-time European champion Rafael Aghayev. He noted that karate was also a popular sports in Turkey. Although there is no Turkish athlete equal to Rafael, the younger generation shows great ambitions. According to Kandaz, Azerbaijani athletes have already gained some Olympic experience thanks to the First European Games and the Games of Islamic Solidarity held in Baku.

However, the head coach refrains from giving forecasts for the Summer Olympic Games. "Firstly, we need to win licenses for Tokyo-2020. Only then it will be possible to say something about the results of the Olympic Games. The rules are very complicated. As you know, not all weight categories are included in the Olympic program. Moreover, a limited number of athletes will be allowed from Europe. Therefore, Tokyo will witness competitions between the strongest of the strongest. There will be a tough battle for medals. Therefore, we have developed a special training plan. Athletes have all the conditions for training. It only remains to move towards the cherished goal," Mr. Kandaz said, expressing his hope that Azerbaijani karatekas will become the winners of their first Olympic games.