Zelym Kotsoiev wins silver medal at European Judo Championships

Azerbaijani judoka Zelym Kotsoiev (100 kg) has won a silver medal at European Judo Championships Senior Podgorica 2025 Individuals, Azernews reports.

In the final match, Kotsoiev faced Ilia Sulamanidze from Georgia. Although he had previously triumphed over Sulamanidze during their pivotal bout at the "Paris 2024" Summer Olympics, Kotsoiev was unable to secure a win this time, finishing in second place.

Another Azerbaijani judoka, Ushangi Kokauri (+100 kg), is preparing to compete against Germany's Erik Abramov for the bronze medal.

In the women's division, Nigar Suleymanova (+78 kg) faced a setback, losing in her opening match to Sofia Somkhishvili of Georgia.

Earlier in the championships, Azerbaijani judokas Ahmad Yusifov (-60 kg), Rashid Mammadaliyev (-73 kg), Zelim Tckaev (-81 kg), and Murad Fatiyev (-90 kg) each earned bronze medals for their performances.

A total of 16 Azerbaijani judokas (9 men and 7 women) competed in individual competitions across 12 weight categories. The championship gathered 305 judokas from 34 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 list of the country's top judo fighters includes Rustam Orujov, ?rina Kindzerskaya, Mammadali Mehdiyev, Elmar Gasimov, Hidayat Heydarov, Zelim Kotsoev, Ushangi Kokauri, and Nijat Shikhalizada.

At the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, judokas Hidayat Heydarov (73 kg) and Zelym Kotsoiev (100 kg) earned gold medals for Azerbaijan.