Press Conference Held to Review Baku 2026 World Judo Championships

A press conference dedicated to the results of the Baku 2026 World Judo Championships was held at the National Gymnastics Arena.

The event was attended by Azerbaijan Judo Federation (AJF) Vice-President Elnur Mammadli, Executive Vice-President Rashad Rasullu, and Richard Trautmann, Performance Director of the national teams and Head Coach of the Azerbaijan Men’s National Team.

In his remarks, Rashad Rasullu first expressed his gratitude to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, for his continued attention and support for sport, including judo. The President’s attendance at the opening ceremony of the World Championships and his meeting with newly crowned world champion Ahmad Yusifov to congratulate him were highlighted as a significant source of encouragement for the national team.

The AJF Executive Vice-President also thanked the International Judo Federation, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Olympic Committee, relevant government institutions, AJF staff, coaching and medical teams, volunteers, media representatives and fans for their contributions to the successful organization of the Championships.

Rasullu highlighted the national team’s historic performance, with Azerbaijan concluding the individual competitions with a record seven medals — one gold, two silver and four bronze — and finishing third in the medal standings among 93 participating countries.

He noted that the men’s national team secured medals in five of the seven weight categories, while Ahmad Yusifov made history by becoming the first Azerbaijani judoka to win a world title in the -60 kg category.

Looking ahead, he emphasized that the Federation’s main priorities would be to build on these results, strengthen the depth of the national teams and focus on preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The press conference concluded with a question-and-answer session, during which journalists raised questions about the results of the World Championships and the national team’s future plans.