European Gymnastics: Azerbaijani Tumblers Play a Significant Role in Popularizing the Sport in Europe

The achievements of Azerbaijani tumbling and athletes such as Mikhail Malkin and Tofiq Aliyev make a significant contribution to the development of this sport in Europe.

Tina Gerets, head of the media department of European Gymnastics, said this in a statement to Idman.Biz on the eve of the European Championships in trampoline gymnastics, double mini-trampoline and tumbling, which will start on April 8 in Portimao, Portugal.

According to her, the friendly competition between Malkin and Aliyev also benefits the athletes themselves:

"They motivate each other to greater achievements, which is really important for an athlete. Their social media posts go viral. For example, Tofiq Aliyev's triple somersault at the World Games... I think even people who don't know anything about this sport were talking about it. Therefore, this is of great importance for the popularization of tumbling both in Europe and in the world in general. I hope they will succeed here as well."

She also stated that she watched the training of Khadija Mammadova, the only representative of Azerbaijan in women's tumbling at this European Championship, and called it a good step forward.

Gerets also emphasized the high level of development of trampoline gymnastics in Azerbaijan:

"What I like about Azerbaijan is that they take the work seriously and carry it through to the end. It seems that this pays off. It is nice to follow the development of the country in all types - the level is really impressive."

According to her, gymnastics in Europe has been developing rapidly in recent years, and more and more federations are operating in all types. The technical committees of European Gymnastics also play an important role in this process - they hold seminars and invite experts.

Finally, the head of the media department stated that she is looking forward to the start of the European Championship with great excitement: "I expect to see many new faces who can compete with experienced athletes. In addition, neutral gymnasts are returning, so the results may be different from two years ago."

She also commented on the arena's decoration in light pink tones, noting that this color is being used for the first time and was specially chosen by the Portuguese side for Portimao.

"In the future, European Gymnastics plans to unify branding, so more bright pink shades or blue will likely be used," she concluded.