National judo team ranks second at European Championships in Zagreb

The Azerbaijani judo team has taken second place in the overall standings of the European Judo Championships Senior Individuals 2024.

Hidayat Heydarov (73 kg) won a gold medal at the championships and became the four-time European champion.

Another national judoka Eljan Hajiyev (90kg) was also crowned European champion in Zagreb.

He secured the gold medal thanks to a victory over Hungarian Krisztian Toth.

Meanwhile, Balabey Agayev (60 kg) enriched the country's medal haul with a silver medal.

The Azerbaijani team was ahead of France, which took third place (1-2-3). Georgia won (2-2-3).

The European Judo Championships Senior Individuals 2024 in Croatia gathered 427 judokas from 47 countries.

In total, teams from 20 countries won medals at the championships.

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, Irina Kindzerskaya, Mammadali Mehdiyev, Elmar Gasimov, Hidayet Heydarov, Zelim Kotsoev, Ushangi Kokauri, and Nijat Shikhalizada.