The European gymnastics community is excited as the list of candidates for the prestigious titles of best athlete and coach of 2023 has been unveiled.

Among the esteemed nominees is the Azerbaijani gymnast, who demonstrates his remarkable talent and dedication to the sport, Azernews reports.

Mikhail Malkin, a member of the national tumbling team, has been nominated for the coveted title of "Athlete of the Year," while Adil Huseynzade, the head of the national team, has been nominated for the esteemed title of "Coach of the Year."

The winners of these highly anticipated awards will be determined through a voting process that involves passionate gymnastics fans.

Mikhail Malkin's nomination for "Athlete of the Year" comes as no surprise, given his outstanding achievements in gymnastics.

In 2023, he achieved a historic victory in the history of Azerbaijani gymnastics. He became the first national gymnast to win a gold medal at the World Championships in trampoline gymnastics and tumbling, held in Birmingham, UK.

At the same time, the Azerbaijani national team, consisting of Mikhail Malkin, Tofiq Aliyev, Adil Hajizade, and Elnur Mammadov, became the world champions in the same event.

Equally deserving of recognition is Adil Huseynzade, who has been nominated for the title of "Coach of the Year." Under his guidance, the Azerbaijani national team achieved remarkable success at international competitions.

Founded in 1956, the Azerbaijani Gymnastics Federation comprises seven gymnastics disciplines recognised by the International Federation of Gymnastics (FIG).

The federation has been experiencing a revival since 2002. The restructured federation has brought gymnastics to a completely new level. The high-level organisation of the gymnastics events did not remain unnoticed.

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has included the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation (AGF) in the list of meritorious federations.

For many years, the AGF has been included in the FIG list of the Top 10 gymnastics federations.

From 2014 to 2019, the Azerbaijani Gymnastics Federation was included in the list of FIG's 10 strongest federations, and for the last three years, it has topped the list.