PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN ILHAM ALIYEV WATCHED WEIGHTLIFTING COMPETITION
Prior to the event, the Head of State responded to the question from the Turkish TRT-1 TV channel’s reporter:
REPORTER: Welcome dear Mr. President. We would like to know your idea of the coming competition.
ILHAM ALIYEV: Weightlifting is very popular kind of sport in Azerbaijan. It has been very developed lately. As you know we have a weightlifting world champion. So, we hope our athletes will show good results here.
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Then, President Ilham Aliyev was watching the competition.
Combating world’s strongest weightlifters, Azerbaijani athlete Turan Mizoyev, 69 kg, has shown 332,5 kg in the clean and jerk and snatch raking fourth following those from China, Korea and Croatia respectively.
After the competition, the Turkish reporter addressed again Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev:
QUESTION: Good evening, Mr. President. What can you tell about the competition you have just watched?
ANSWER: The competition was very good. Our athlete has also shown good result ranking fourth. He was very closed to medal. But…Congratulations. Turkish athletes show very good results. It makes us happy. You have two gold and one bronze medals. Believe this result will be improved.
Late on, President Ilham Aliyev answered the questions from Azerbaijani journalists.
QUESTION: Mr. President, how would you value Irada Ashumova’s performance?
ANSWER: This is a great success, very good result. I think it will have a good effect on other members of the team. I phoned and congratulated Irada. She left behind very strong rivals and gained the first gold medal for Azerbaijan. Hope we’ll win more medals.
QUESTION: Mr. President, as you have seen today, Turan Mirzoyev was very close to the medal. Are the Azerbaijani sportsmen generally taken as serious rivals in these games?
ANSWER: Certainly, for example, Mehman Azizov had also been very close to the medal. As a matter of fact, he also was fourth, but it is considered as firth place. Yelena Zhemayeva also fought in 1/8 finals. Today, Turan Mirzoyev has also been very close to the medal. This is the indication of the level of sport in Azerbaijan. However, both fourth and fifth are also very honorable places. In other words, we can say we are approaching the medals.
QUESTION: Mr. President, so you don’t consider it as a failure?
ANSWER: No, no. Absolutely not! Mehman Azizov, for instance, was fighting very well. He lost the third bout. But later won several ones. It does not mean a failure at all. This is our success. Medals will be, and will be even more in the future.
QUESTION: Mr. President, we believe our wrestlers and taekwondoists will reach the finals. Will you be watching the finals bouts?
ANSWER: I’ll try.
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