CHENGDU GLORY: FIVE SILVERS FOR AZERBAIJAN AT THE WORLD GAMES

The 12th World Games concluded in Chengdu, China. Held from 7 to 17 August, the competition proved successful for the Azerbaijani national team. Our delegation consisted of 14 athletes (11 men and 3 women) competing in acrobatic gymnastics, aerobic gymnastics, tumbling, karate, wushu, kickboxing, and taekwondo.

It is worth noting that the primary aim of the Games is to promote and develop sports not included in the Olympic programme. Much like the Olympics, participation is not open to all: athletes must first qualify through preliminary tournaments and earn a licence. Since their inception in 1981, the Games have been organised every four years by the International World Games Association with the support of national Olympic committees.

Medal tally

At the 12th World Games in Chengdu, Azerbaijan secured five silver medals. The medallists were: karateka Irina Zaretskaya (under 68 kg), kickboxer Amin Guliyev (under 63.5 kg), the men’s acrobatic gymnastics duo Murad Rafiyev and Daniel Abbasov, Tofig Aliyev (tumbling), and the mixed aerobic gymnastics pair Madina Mustafayeva and Vladimir Dolmatov.

At the previous Games in 2022, postponed due to the pandemic, Azerbaijan won two medals, including one gold. On that occasion, Bahram Rajabzade became kickboxing champion, while the national team ranked 45th among 99 countries. This time, Azerbaijan placed 56th, yet in terms of the number of medals, the Chengdu Games proved the most productive in our history—never before had our team returned with five medals at once.

The gymnasts’ achievements were especially remarkable. At the last moment, Tofig Aliyev was included in the squad in place of the celebrated Mikhail Malkin, and his outstanding performance drew worldwide attention. In tumbling, he unveiled a unique routine— a triple somersault combined with a triple twist—earning 30.500 points and clinching silver. Since this extraordinarily difficult element had never been performed before, it may, in time, bear Tofig's name.

The men’s acrobatic gymnastics duo of Murad Rafiyev and Daniel Abbasov scored 28.730 points in the mixed exercises and claimed second place. In aerobics, Madina Mustafayeva and Vladimir Dolmatov also won silver with 19.750 points. In both cases, our gymnasts missed out on gold by the narrowest of margins.

In the kickboxing final, Amin Guliyev lost to Ukraine’s Gleb Mazur, finishing with silver. In taekwondo, Irina Zaretskaya also produced a commendable result despite her defeat in the final. The Olympic medallist, who had been absent from competition for a considerable time, regained her confidence by securing silver. In the decisive bout, the three-time world and European champion lost to Switzerland’s Elena Gurich, yet once again confirmed her elite standing.

Training in secret

In an interview with Region Plus, Irina Zaretskaya reflected on her return: "This is my first medal at such a major tournament since giving birth. I feel proud of the journey I have taken and the work I have accomplished. I am back among the top in the world rankings. At the World Games there are no easy fights—every opponent belongs to the global elite. To qualify, one had to endure a fierce selection process: only the world’s top eight athletes in each weight category were admitted. Two matches stand out for me—the bout with the Indonesian fighter, whom I defeated 10:0, and the semi-final against the Japanese competitor, where I won early by 11:3. Incidentally, I had met the same Indonesian at the 2023 World Championship and then won only by the rule of the last point after a 5:5 draw. This time it was a convincing victory. It motivates me and proves I am on the right path."

Aerobics silver medallist Madina Mustafayeva also shared her impressions: "Our main goal was to reach the podium. After taking silver at the World Championship, we believed we could succeed in China as well. I think we performed very well. Our duet with Vladimir Dolmatov once again earned a medal for our country. We were only a few tenths short of gold. The next competition will be held in Azerbaijan—at the European Championship, which Ganja will host for the first time. Our aim is gold. To prepare, we plan to take part in several tournaments before November."

Tofig Aliyev, who stunned the judges with his unique routine that earned 30.500 points, gave an exclusive interview to Region Plus about how the element was conceived: "Before the competition, I dreamt of performing this difficult move. After that, I spoke with my coach and began training in secret—even my teammates did not know. When I executed it during the competition, everyone in the hall was astonished. I am proud to have performed such a complex routine for the first time. Later, it became known that the element may be named after me."