President Ilham Aliyev received wrestlers who performed successfully at the European Championship

April 30, 2026

On April 30, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, received athletes who won medals in Greco-Roman wrestling, freestyle wrestling, and women’s wrestling, as well as their coaches, whose teams became European champions in the team standings at the European Championship held in Tirana, the capital of Albania

The head of state delivered a speech at the meeting.

Speech by President Ilham Aliyev

– Hello, please be seated.

First of all, I congratulate our national team on the great victory achieved at the European Championship held in Tirana. This victory made all of us happy. Azerbaijani wrestlers once again showed that they are number one in Europe. Finishing first in the team standings at the European Championship is, of course, a great achievement. Especially considering that today competition in wrestling is becoming more intense both in the world and in Europe, with well-known wrestlers from many countries achieving great results, and the contests were very tough. I also watched some of the matches and saw that our athletes demonstrated their professionalism and defeated their opponents in fair competition. This, of course, makes all our people happy and once again shows that our wrestling is developing successfully. Our wrestling has great traditions, and we preserve these traditions. I am glad that alongside well-known wrestlers, our young wrestlers are also achieving great results. This shows that the training process and selection process are properly organized. On this occasion, I congratulate the federation, the coaches, and of course, first and foremost, the athletes.

Every time our flag is raised at international competitions, all the people of Azerbaijan feel proud and rejoice. Our athletes bring this joy of victory to our people, which in turn is a very important factor in educating the younger generation in the spirit of patriotism. Sport, in general, is an integral part of our society, and especially in recent years, the positive developments in sports have certainly pleased all of us.

As for the federation, I should also note that our well-known athletes, Olympic champions, are represented in its leadership. Renowned athletes are also among the coaches. I personally watched the competitions of the athletes who are now working as coaches—both in Baku and at the Olympic Games—and supported them. Now their students are making us happy. As generations change, wrestling and sports in general in Azerbaijan not only continue to exist but also develop and reach new heights. Generations change, but one thing does not change—the successes of Azerbaijani sports.

Of course, the federation will continue to improve its work, especially in attracting young athletes from the regions to training and camps. Because today, in every region there are Olympic sports complexes as well as wrestling halls. Therefore, this selection process will form the basis of our future successes.

As for the overall development of Azerbaijani sports, everything is evident. At both the Olympic Games and world and European championships, our athletes represent our country with dignity. Of course, along with successes, there are also defeats. But everything is possible in sports. The main thing is that our athletes have a strong will to win, which once again reflects the overall development of our country. Today, as a victorious state and a victorious nation, our country and our people take pride, including in sporting achievements.

I once again congratulate you on this occasion. My meetings with athletes are regular. For nearly 30 years, I have been leading the National Olympic Committee of Azerbaijan. During this period, of course, there have been many positive developments. The most important thing is the sustainable development of sports, the consistent continuation of our successes, and the upbringing of the younger generation—all of this has taken place before my eyes. Look how many generations have changed, yet today we still take pride in our achievements. That is what matters. I am confident that both the Wrestling Federation and our other federations will organize their work in such a way that the Azerbaijani people will always feel joy when watching sports competitions.

Of course, sports competitions held in our country help popularize different sports. Our experience is also extensive—we have hosted many major international competitions, including the European Games and the Islamic Solidarity Games. These are almost at the level of the Summer Olympic Games. Last year, we hosted the CIS Games not only in the capital but also in the regions. This shows that there is a very strong potential, and care for sports and athletes is a state policy. I am sure that athletes see and feel this. Once again, I congratulate you and wish you new successes.

x x x

Afterwards, the athletes spoke.

Freestyle wrestler Turan Bayramov said: Mr. President, first of all, on behalf of the national freestyle wrestling team, we express our gratitude to you for taking your valuable time to receive us. We represented our country достойно at the European Championship. Our team has become European champion for the second consecutive time. Your reception increases our responsibility and gives us great motivation. I also believe and will do my best to stand before you with a gold medal in the future.

Greco-Roman wrestler Hasrat Jafarov said: Mr. President, first of all, greetings to you. Thank you very much for receiving us. As you know, I won a gold medal at the European Championship held in Tirana, the capital of Albania. This is my fourth gold medal overall, and the competition was truly very difficult. As a four-time European champion, I set a record in the history of Azerbaijani Greco-Roman wrestling. We express our gratitude for your support, attention, and care. Your attention and care are the greatest responsibility for us. Thank you very much.

Women’s wrestler Jala Aliyeva said: Mr. President, it is a great honor for me to speak here today. I also participated in a meeting with you four years ago. At that time, I became European champion among under-23 wrestlers. This time, I became a medalist at the senior European Championship. We always feel your attention and care. Thank you for inviting us. Thank you very much.

x x x

President Ilham Aliyev said: Thank you very much. Our team is multinational, and not everyone knows the Azerbaijani language sufficiently well, so I would like to say a few words in Russian. Once again, I congratulate everyone and express my gratitude for достойно representing Azerbaijan in the international arena. Of course, speaking about such an important, I would say historic, victory at the European Championship, I would especially like to note that wrestlers won first place in both Greco-Roman and freestyle disciplines. This is very significant.

As for the women, I am also very glad that they are among the medalists. This shows that the younger generation of girls is showing great interest in wrestling. I am confident that in the future, women will also win gold medals—I have no doubt about that. There could have been more medalists among the women, but some were unlucky. There may have been certain mistakes, but this is important because all areas—freestyle, Greco-Roman, and women’s wrestling—are developing in Azerbaijan.

I am very pleased that there is such a positive atmosphere and high morale in the national team. Everyone rejoices in each other’s success and victory as one family, and this is very valuable.

Of course, another important point I must note is that well-known athletes are always in the spotlight of society. It makes me equally happy that our athletes behave with dignity both in society and in everyday life. There are many examples in history where famous athletes and champions failed to maintain this level in ordinary life, and after some time, attitudes toward them changed for the worse due to mistakes or misconduct. However, as I have already said, during the nearly 30 years that I have led the National Olympic Committee, I do not recall such cases. This is very important. What is no less important than medals is that champions and medalists demonstrate high moral qualities both in society and in their teams. This is how it should be. Of course, there is the example of our champions—Olympic, European, and world champions. As I said, I once supported those who led the federation and coached, and now they support their students. This continuity of traditions is characteristic of our region. Traditions have always played an important role in history, and this continues in Azerbaijani society and the Caucasus region as a whole. This brings us even closer together.

Therefore, I would especially like to emphasize how our athletes behave with dignity both on and off the mat. Even when there are refereeing mistakes or injustices, it is always important to maintain dignified behavior. Because sometimes there is bias—we have seen this many times against Azerbaijani athletes not only in wrestling but especially in European competitions. Interestingly, as a rule, injustices against Azerbaijani athletes occur more often in European competitions than in world championships. Probably not everyone in Europe is pleased that Azerbaijan participates in European championships and not only participates but also defeats all European countries.

For this reason, I would once again like to express my satisfaction and wish that wherever you are—on the mat or off it—you will always remain committed to the principles of dignified conduct. This applies to all athletes representing our country.

Thus, once again, I congratulate you and wish you new victories. Thank you.