Idman.biz
Kifayat Gasimova, a well-known Azerbaijani judoka and medalist of European and World Championships, ended her career after the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games and is currently involved in training a new generation of athletes.
In an interview with Idman.Biz, she spoke about how women's judo has changed in recent years.
According to Gasimova, the number of girls coming to this sport has increased significantly:
"In my time, there were only 3-4 female judokas, and sometimes there were none at all. There were cases when girls were not even allowed to study, let alone sports. But now everything has changed. I myself have about 50 students".
She believes that the activities of the Azerbaijan Judo Federation have also influenced the popularization of women's judo: increasing the level of coaches, developing infrastructure, the work of doctors and psychologists, as well as numerous foreign training camps and competition trips.
"Previously, there were not enough halls, and even going to the nearest hall was very far for many children. Now it is possible to train in almost every region. In addition, judo is one of the most popular sports in the world, and in Azerbaijan it is considered one of the most successful in terms of the number of medals".
At the same time, Kifayat Gasimova noted that the results of Azerbaijani female judokas in the international arena remain modest so far:
"There are conditions, the number of athletes is increasing, but the results are still weak. Frankly, I don’t see any real candidates for European, world championships or Olympic medals among adults right now. Although judo is a sport where anything is possible. I think time is needed. However, there are promising athletes. For example, Fidan Alizade, Konul Aliyeva and Aydan Aliyeva. I also have small but very combative girls. I expect results from them in 4-5 years".
Gasimova appealed to young athletes, urging them not to give up in the face of difficulties on the path to great success:
"Judo is not just a sport, it is a path of honor. You represent your country, raise your flag, your anthem sounds - what could be better? The main thing is to form character. Sport strengthens a person both physically and mentally. Many are afraid of injury, but a person can break their arm in ordinary life. Therefore, continue training and develop. Parental support is also very important. It is also necessary to understand the philosophy of judo: it is not only a fight, but also friendship, respect for the opponent, discipline and honesty," K. Gasimova added.
