Mammad Abdullayev, the head coach of the Azerbaijan taekwondo team, believes that it is now important to give way to young people and start the generational change process.
He emphasized that successors should come:
"There are good, enthusiastic kids. They just lack competition experience. I can mention Vasif Salimov from the new ones. We took him to several competitions. It is difficult for a young athlete to suddenly compete among adults. It takes time to develop young personnel. Thank you to those who have achieved great results and victories in Azerbaijani taekwondo, as well as those who fought even if they did not achieve their desires. Those who have fought enough but have not been able to win a medal should either change their weight or we should say goodbye to them. The athlete himself must understand this. Successors must come. We must give way to young people now," the expert said in a statement to Report.
The head coach highlighted the lack of quantity in the Azerbaijan championship:
"There is very little quantity and choice in the Azerbaijan championship. Our leading athletes Javad Agayev and Gashim Magomedov did not participate in the competition. Two new young athletes became Azerbaijani champions in both of their weight categories. We are trying to give preference to young people and renew the team. We want to replace the athletes who have given enough results and fought with a new generation. This is a long process and will take a certain amount of time."
M.Abdullayev also spoke about his future plans:
"The European Championship among adults will be held in 2026. In addition, we have 4 Grand Prix ahead of us. To collect the total points, the Olympic team will participate in each stage by dividing. It is true that there is the issue of experience, but some young athletes should participate in these competitions."