Asgarkhan Novruzov: “Our Wrestling Improves Year by Year”

An interview with Asgarkhan Novruzov, the head coach of the U17 freestyle wrestling national team:

– How do you assess the results of the national championship held in Astara?

– Inevitably, the youth team undergoes changes every year. Athletes born in 2007 have already moved to the junior category. Among them were European and world medalists and champions. Around 90% of the athletes who remained in the U17 category from last year proved their worth in Astara. There were only minor changes, but even these slight changes are a positive sign. For example, European and world medalist Huseyn Ismayilov failed to win a medal in the 65 kg category. This indicates stronger competition in that weight class. Competition signifies progress. It demonstrates that our wrestling is improving year by year.

– You did not participate in the “Victory Cup.” Will the absence of any events before the European Championship pose a problem?

– It is true that participating in a competition before the European Championship is preferable. However, last year we also competed in the European Championship without any preparatory tournaments. To be more specific, after participating in an event in Turkey, the national championship was held, and following that, we did not take part in any further tournaments until the European Championship. Despite this, we returned with excellent results, and the team was crowned European champions. I firmly believe that the absence of competitions this year will not cause any issues either. The most important factors are training and the preparation process.

– As always, are you preparing for the major competition in Khachmaz?

– Excellent conditions have been created here. We have already completed the second training camp. Initially, we focused on general and specific physical preparation, followed by improving tactical and technical skills. We plan to hold our final camp at the Khachmaz Olympic Sports Complex. I am confident that we will once again secure gold, silver, and bronze medals, and emerge as European champions in the team standings.