The official opening ceremony of the Azerbaijan Judo Championship has been held

The official opening ceremony of the Azerbaijan Judo Championships among women and men has been held.

The event, organized at the Baku Sports Palace, began with the playing of the National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan. This was followed by a minute of silence in memory of the martyrs who gave their lives for the Motherland.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Youth and Sports Farid Gayibov recalled the outstanding achievements at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games and noted that judo is developing in Azerbaijan. He wished success to all athletes competing at the national championships.

Executive Vice President of the Azerbaijan Judo Federation Rashad Rasullu stated that it is gratifying to see athletes from all regions of the country taking part in the championships. He noted that this tournament could become a potential turning point in the athletes’ careers. The Federation official expressed his gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev for the attention and care shown towards the sport of judo. Rasullu underlined that thanks to this support, our judoka have won a total of 253 medals at international tournaments this year – 76 gold, 61 silver and 116 bronze. He also thanked the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Olympic Committee, the Federation’s main sponsor Azercell Telecom, as well as the event sponsor Azman Holding for their support in organizing the tournament and in the overall development of judo.

A video reel highlighting the successful performances of Azerbaijani judoka this year in the senior, junior and cadet age categories was then shown. The event continued with a cultural and artistic programme.

It should be noted that this year’s Azerbaijan Championships have again been organized in line with high competition standards. A total of 206 athletes took part in the national championships.