Namiq Quliyev: “We will do everything we can to become champions”

Interview with Namiq Quliyev, head coach of the U15 freestyle wrestling national team:

– How do you evaluate the U15 national championship held in March at the Ganja Sports Palace? Were there any surprise names for you?

– It went as expected. The difference was that some kids we expected to win the championship took 2nd or 3rd place. Some favorites couldn’t win the title due to injuries. Before the national championship, we had selected a 10-member team for the Gymnasiade in Serbia. Only one of them didn’t perform as expected in Ganja. That wrestler was the national champion last year and a participant in the European Championship, but he had to withdraw early this time due to an injury. From the Gymnasiade team, 5 won gold, 2 won silver, and 2 won bronze.

– Speaking of which, all our freestyle wrestlers at the Gymnasiade reached the podium. Your team won 2 gold, 3 silver, and 5 bronze medals. Are you satisfied with the results?

– I consider our performance satisfactory. In Serbia, wrestling nations like the USA, Kazakhstan, Iran, Armenia, and Ukraine were represented. Over 20 countries’ wrestlers competed in total. Five of our wrestlers reached the finals. We could have won more gold medals, but we lost two final matches in the last seconds.

– The main test for you will be the European Championship in Italy from June 25-28. How is the preparation going?

– From May 24 to June 4, we will hold a training camp at the Khachmaz Olympic Sports Complex focused on general physical preparation. After a 3-4 day break, we’ll return to Khachmaz. From June 8 to 22, we’ll focus on tactical-technical training. After returning from Khachmaz, we’ll head straight to the European Championship. Considering June’s weather, holding the camp in Khachmaz is entirely appropriate.

– Last year, you became European champions in the team standings with 140 points. Is it possible to defend the title?

– We’ll do everything we can to become champions again. It’s true that Russia’s results aren’t counted in the team standings, but if we consider their individual athletes, our main rivals are still our northern neighbors. Naturally, we also consider the Georgian team a serious competitor. I think we can win at least 6-7 medals. Three or four of our wrestlers have the potential to reach the finals. I believe we’ll also have gold medals.