Baku, August 14, AZERTAC

On August 14, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and President of the National Olympic Committee Ilham Aliyev received Azerbaijani athletes who won medals at the Paris Summer Olympic Games, along with their coaches.

Addressing the meeting, President Ilham Aliyev said:

- First of all, I would like to congratulate our athletes on their brilliant victories. You have represented our country at the Summer Olympic Games with great dignity. You have raised the Azerbaijani flag and thus made our people happy. I would like to both congratulate you and express my gratitude to you.

The Olympic Games is a competition that stands out from all other sports competitions. It is a sports festival held every four years, and, of course, every athlete and every country specifically prepares for these Games. Our successes in the Olympic Games in previous years and in the latest Games are evidence that Azerbaijan is a strong sports nation. It is no coincidence that we finished these Games among the top 30 countries in the world – with two gold, two silver, and three bronze medals, I think that is a very good result. I want to once again congratulate the athletes and their coaches on this remarkable occasion.

Let me also note that Azerbaijan ranks third among Muslim countries. Considering the fact that there are 57 members in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, I think this is a great and historic result. Evaluating the performance of our team as a whole, I think that our athletes deserve the highest assessment.

I would like to specifically congratulate our gold medalists - Hidayat and Zelym. They gave our nation the joy of victory in the early days of the Olympic Games. Their professionalism, their successes in sports, and at the same time, their conduct delighted each of us from the bottom of our hearts. They have held on to leadership in their weight class for many years and confirmed this leadership again at the Olympic Games. I would like to congratulate their coaches. I would like to congratulate the leadership of the Judo Federation. When work in the Federation and training process are set up correctly, and when the atmosphere in the team is positive, the result is obvious.

We could have won more medals, yes, we could have. But this is sports, there are both victories and defeats in sports. The main thing is that these Games showed again that the development of sports in Azerbaijan is a consistent process. I should also mention that our athletes won medals in five sports: judo, boxing, taekwondo, Greco-Roman wrestling, and freestyle wrestling. In other words, this shows that many sports disciplines are developing in Azerbaijan.

Of course, after a certain rest, a new process of preparations will start – preparations for both the European and world championships will continue. Of course, we should start preparing for the next Olympic Games now. Several sports are undergoing a generational change. Therefore, we should approach the next Olympic Games from this perspective and pay special attention to children and youth sports from now on, especially since there are good conditions for practicing sports in every part of our country. Coordination between the institutions in charge of sports has been properly established. Federations and clubs are operating successfully. Considering the influx of children and teenagers into sports clubs across the country after Olympic Games, especially after successful Games for the country, I am sure that the process of preparations for the next Olympic Games will be consistent.

Of course, I am sure that there will be a large number of children who want to pursue judo and other sports, and I wish for that. The words I have been saying for years about the massive nature of sports and the tasks I have given have pursued one goal: to raise a young generation that is physically and spiritually healthy, attached to the Motherland, patriotic, and professional. The successful performances of our athletes have shown again that we can be rightly proud of our young generation.

Of course, these achievements also increase the responsibility of the athletes who have won medals. I am glad that our athletes have shown exemplary conduct both in competitions and in life as a whole. In other words, you are an example for the younger generation. Young people will look up to you and want to be like you, and that is one of the important aspects of this victory.

Once again, I would like to sincerely congratulate you and wish you new victories and continued success.

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Olympic champion, judoka Hidayat Heydarov said in his remarks:

- Mr. President, thank you very much for inviting us here today. I am very happy that you congratulated me and supported me when I became world champion. You were the first to call and congratulate me on the Olympic championship. Although he is not here, I want to express my appreciation to our Olympic champion Elnur Mammadli. We promised to each other that we would become European, world, and Olympic champions, and so we did. Inshallah, we will now prepare together for the Los Angeles Olympics and win there too.

I am proud that I became an Olympic champion in Paris, France, that our Flag was raised, and our national anthem was played. I am very proud of that. Thank you very much. I am grateful to you.

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you.

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The head of state said that the victory achieved by Azerbaijani athletes at the Paris Summer Olympic Games, thanks to their hard work, talent, and professionalism, brought joy to the entire nation.

The President of Azerbaijan noted that a victory in the Olympic Games places great responsibility on the athlete in sports and in everyday life. The head of state emphasized that the Azerbaijani athletes stood out not only for their skills but also for their decent behavior during the competition, showcasing their high moral qualities to the entire world. President Ilham Aliyev expressed his gratitude to veteran athletes who had glorified Azerbaijan in Olympic Games, World, and European championships for many years.

The head of state wished the Azerbaijani athletes and coaches new victories and continued success.

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Then, Olympic champions and judokas Hidayat Heydarov and Zelym Kotsoiev presented keepsakes to the President of Azerbaijan.

The head of state presented orders to the athletes and their coaches in recognition of their outstanding achievements at the Paris Summer Olympic Games and their contributions to the development of Azerbaijani sports.

A family photo was taken.