An international medical seminar organized by the European Judo Union (EJU) Medical Commission is taking place in Baku, Azernews reports.
Chairman of the EJU Medical Commission, Envik Qalea, stated that organizing the international sports seminar in Baku would positively impact the development of this sport in Azerbaijan.
Vice-President of the Azerbaijan Judo Federation Rashad Rasullu, mentioned that the seminar would be beneficial in terms of increasing medical knowledge. He emphasized that the health of athletes is paramount.
He stressed that the federation is expanding its international cooperation, stressing that the federation will do more work in this regard.
Head of the Sports Department at the Ministry of Youth and Sports Elnur Mammadov expressed his satisfaction with the participation of representatives from 13 countries, including Denmark, the Netherlands, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Belgium, Great Britain, Turkiye, Hungary, Malta, Romania, Croatia, Portugal, and Finland. He recalled the successes achieved by Azerbaijani judokas at the Summer Olympics held in Paris, France, and expressed confidence that these achievements would continue.
After the official speeches, the seminar commenced its sessions. Experts from various countries shared their research findings on providing medical support to judokas.
The event discussed innovations in the field, various rehabilitation methods, and the treatment of sports injuries, while participants were informed about the latest global trends in sports health and medical support.
The seminar, organized in collaboration with the Azerbaijan Judo Federation (ACF), aims to facilitate the exchange of experiences among medical personnel working in the sports field and to acquire the latest information. The event will continue until October 19.
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, İrina 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.
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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr
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