Opening ceremony of the Quba European Cup held

The official opening ceremony of the Quba Cadet European Judo Cup was held on May 3 in Quba. The event was attended by Minister of Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan Farid Gayibov, Head of the Quba District Executive Authority Ilgar Mahmudov, Executive Vice President of the Azerbaijan Judo Federation Rashad Rasulov, Sports Commissioner of the European Judo Union (EJU) Albert Gmeiner, and other distinguished guests and officials.

In his opening remarks, Minister Farid Gayibov called on the athletes to always strive for strength and excellence. He emphasized that the Azerbaijani government provides strong support for the development of sports across the country. According to the minister, the organization of international competitions in the regions will significantly contribute to the growth of the sports sector. He wished all participants success and expressed his hope that the strongest would prevail.

Ilgar Mahmudov, Head of the Quba District Executive Authority, stated that Quba is steadily becoming a regular host of prestigious international tournaments. He noted that it is a matter of pride to welcome guests to the region and emphasized that Azerbaijan is recognized worldwide as a sports nation. Mahmudov also extended his gratitude to everyone involved in the organization of the event.

Executive Vice President of the Azerbaijan Judo Federation Rashad Rasulov expressed his appreciation to the European Judo Union for their trust. He highlighted the significance of the tournament for the Federation and added that the organization is taking consistent and purposeful steps to promote the sport of judo and develop sports infrastructure in the regions. Rasulov also emphasized that hosting such events in the regions aligns with President Ilham Aliyev’s directives regarding the development of sports outside the capital.

EJU Sports Commissioner Albert Gmeiner conveyed the greetings of EJU President László Tóth and underlined the importance of the Quba European Cup in terms of its reach and its role in the development of young judokas. Gmeiner expressed his confidence that some of the athletes competing on this tatami would go on to become future champions at European and World Championships. He added that it was a great honor for him to declare the Quba European Cup officially open.

The opening ceremony concluded with the playing of the National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

It should be noted that the two-day tournament features 354 cadet judokas from 12 countries competing across various weight categories.