Azerbaijani judokas to participate in 2024 Summer Olympics

Nine Azerbaijani judokas will participate in the 2024 Summer Olympics, Azernews reports.

The national team includes Balabey Aghayev (60kg), Yashar Najafov (66kg), Hidayat Heydarov (73kg), Zelim Tckaev (81kg), Eljan Hajiyev (90kg), Zelym Kotsoiev (100kg) and Ushangi Kokaur (+ 100kg), as well as female fighters Leyla Aliyeva (48kg) and Gultaj Mammadaliyeva (52kg).

The 2024 Summer Olympics will take place in Paris from July 26 to August 11, 2024. Paris will become the second city after London to host the Summer Olympics three times.

The Games will feature football, tennis, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, volleyball, weightlifting, basketball, fencing, taekwondo, athletics, wrestling, and other sports, as well as the debut of breakdancing as an Olympic event.

This prestigious multi-sport event will see champions crowned in 7 different weight divisions.

A total of 121 male boxers from around the world will vie for glory in Paris.

The competition will bring together 356 judokas from 31 countries.

Founded in 1972, the Azerbaijan Judo Federation actively promotes this martial art across the country. Since 2015, the Federation has been led by Rovnag Abdullayev.

The country's modern judo history was laid by Mehman Azizov, who won a silver medal at the Old World Championship in 1998.

A year later, the winner of the World Youth Games in Moscow, Rasul Salimov, grabbed the bronze medal at the European Championship in Slovakia. Another national judoka, Elchin Ismayilov, became the European champion in 2000 in Wroclaw.

However, the achievements of Azerbaijani judo fighters did not stop there. Elnur Mammadli was named the best at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 73 kg division.

The 2008 Beijing Olympics gave fresh impetus to judo in Azerbaijan.

The list of the country's top judo fighters includes Rustam Orujov, ?rina Kindzerskaya, Mammadali Mehdiyev, Elmar Gasimov, Hidayet Heydarov, Zelim Kotsoev, Ushangi Kokauri, and Nijat Shikhalizada.