Alexander Tarakanov: “We aim for Olympic weights to create maximum competition”

November 15, 2024

The Greco-Roman wrestling team of Azerbaijan, which achieved a historic success at the World Championship in Albania, has returned home.

A welcoming ceremony was held at Heydar Aliyev International Airport for our team, which became the world champion with three gold medals and defended its title, clearly outscoring the competition.

Alexander Tarakanov, the head coach of the national team, said:
“This is not only a success for the wrestlers and coaches but also for the entire federation, and we can be proud of this result. We are preparing a team that can compete with the strongest teams in the world. The federation leadership supports us – the athletes and coaches – follows all our performances, and is involved in solving all issues related to training and competitions. We are now preparing a strong team and targeting Olympic weights to create maximum competition.”

Eldaniz Azizli (55 kg), World Champion, said:
“I am happy not only for my own victory but also for the success of our team. It was a historic result. We outperformed the team in second place by a large margin. For the first time in a World Championship, we won 3 gold medals. By becoming world champion for the 4th time, I set a new record in Azerbaijani wrestling history. I am very happy about this. I thank everyone. My next goal is to become a 5-time world champion. I express my gratitude to our coaches. Wrestlers are the visible part of the iceberg. Behind the scenes, the coaches of the national team and individual wrestlers stand. Undoubtedly, the attention and care we receive played a huge role in achieving this success. Therefore, first of all, I thank the President of the country, who supports not only wrestling but all sports in the country.”

Nihat Mammadli (63 kg), World Champion, said:
“It’s hard to express my feelings in words. It’s an extremely proud feeling. Only those who experience it can understand. Half of victory is believing in it. This was my first time competing at 63 kg internationally, and I knew it would be tough, especially because it coincided with the World Championship. I knew all my matches would be difficult, and I prepared myself for it. And it turned out that way. Thank God, our hard work paid off. This year I became the European Champion in the 60 kg category. My goal was to participate in the Olympic Games, but it didn’t happen. Instead, God granted me the opportunity to become World Champion in a non-Olympic weight category. Next year, I plan to return to 60 kg.”

Ulvi Ganizade (72 kg), World Champion, said:
“The competition was very tough. Just before the World Championship, I fell ill. I had no hope. Thank God, today I stand before you as a World Champion. I did not lose the faith of my coaches and the federation leadership. Now I am both a European and World Champion. I will strive to increase the number of these championships.”