HISTORICAL MILESTONE

Azerbaijani judokas, who had a successful performance at the Summer Olympics in Paris, are continuing their winning streak. This time, the youth and junior teams have achieved historic success. 

With High Achievements

At the Youth World Championship in Peru, the team accomplished remarkable results. Given that the competition venue was significantly above sea level, the delegation was sent to Lima eight days before the event for acclimatisation.

Four out of seven members of the national team reached the podium in this prestigious tournament. Nihad Mamishov (55kg) and Jasur Ibadli (73kg) won gold medals by defeating all their opponents. Magomedali Khusiev (50kg) and Mehdi Abbasov (81kg) earned bronze medals. Ultimately, Azerbaijan placed second in the overall standings among 48 countries, finishing only behind Japan, while leading all countries in the men's ranking.

Seventeen-year-old Nihad Mamishov became a world champion for the second time in his career. Notably, he won all five matches by "ippon," achieving all his victories while in a ‘ne-waza’ (ground fighting) position. Mamishov's results in Lima caught the attention of the International Judo Federation (IJF), which featured a post titled ‘ne-vasa-baijan’ on its official social media page dedicated to the Azerbaijani athlete.

The second gold medallist, Jasur Ibadli, displayed determination and focus during his bouts, making history as the first Azerbaijani world champion among juniors in the 73kg weight category. As for Magomedali Khusiev, he claimed a bronze at the world championship at just 15 years old. The bronze medal for Mehdi Abbasov, who has already drawn attention by placing in several European cup tournaments, marked a significant achievement on the world stage as he became the first Azerbaijani teenager to win a medal in the 81 kg weight category.

European Sensation

The Azerbaijani youth team also made a strong debut at the European Judo Championship held in Estonia’s capital. Sixteen judokas (nine boys and seven girls) participated in the competition. The team secured eight medals in individual events: four golds, two silvers, and two bronzes. Among the girls, Konul Aliyeva (48kg) and Fidan Alizade (57kg) became European champions, while Vusal Galandarzade (73kg) and Suleyman Shukurov (81kg) achieved the same among the boys. Nizami Imranov (60kg) and Aslan Kotsayev (90kg) earned silver medals, while Tunjay Shamil (90kg) and Kanan Nasibov (+100kg) received bronze awards.

On the final day of the championship, the judokas emerged victorious in the mixed team competition. Starting their journey from the Round of 16, our tatami masters progressed smoothly to the decisive stage. By defeating the French team with a score of 4:3 in the final, the team completed mixed team competitions at the European Championship with a gold medal for the first time in its history.

By winning four golds, two silvers, and two bronzes, Azerbaijan topped the overall medal table among 39 countries. Azerbaijan also achieved first place in the boys' ranking and second place among girls. On this occasion, the national team was awarded by the European Judo Association, which was presented to head coach Elkhan Mammadov. Once again, Azerbaijan's flag was raised, and the national anthem was played.

Notably, for the first time in Azerbaijan's history, our judokas won four gold medals at the European Youth Championship. Our girls brought home gold medals after a 25-year hiatus, repeating a record set in 1999.

Mammadov: "We Set the Tone for All Four Days"

Head coach Elkhan Mammadov of the youth team called the achieved results a historic success on the official website of the European Judo Union: "The European Championship could not have yielded a better result for us. The Azerbaijani team set the tone for the tournament for four consecutive days. The gold medal in team competitions was our crowning achievement. We believed in our ninth medal and our fifth gold. During the draw for the decisive match, we told Fidan Alizade (57kg) that she is a true champion and would not lose for a second time!"

Elkhan Mammadov admitted that this current generation reminds him of the team that competed at the junior European Championship in Prague two years prior: “Back then, Vusal Galandarzade was also among the winners. His teammate Eljan Hajiyev, who also won in Prague, has already made it to the Olympic team. I believe this generation can reach Los Angeles 2028. Three or four of them, if not more, definitely have potential for the next Olympics."

Mammadov also shared his expectations for the youth world championship taking place in October in Tajikistan: "In judo, it's difficult to predict outcomes. Competition will undoubtedly be even tougher, and not everything may go perfectly as it did over these four days. However, being number one on the medal table is our goal—at least in Tajikistan."