The European Judo Cup tournament held in Ganja was the center of attention not only for the performance of athletes, but also in terms of refereeing.
Idman.Biz reports that four young Azerbaijani referees made their debut in the competition, receiving appointments to such a high-level international tournament for the first time.
They were Aziza Jafarova, Islam Najafguliyev, Sadig Gurbanli and Vilayat Rahimli.
The referees demonstrated a serious approach to the application of the rules during the competition, chose the right position in the episodes and made decisions accurately. Their performance was positively evaluated in the overall course of the competition.
It was noted that these referees were involved in the tournament not on the basis of random selection, but after a long preparation process and serious evaluations. Theoretical and practical training has created conditions for them to perform more confidently in the international arena.
Refereeing at international competitions requires not only knowing the rules, but also the ability to read the episode in advance, choose the right position and maintain the rhythm of the game. From this point of view, the debut of young referees is considered satisfactory.
Matin Rahimli, the manager for referees of the Azerbaijan Judo Federation, an "A" category international referee, said that such tournaments are an important stage for young referees to develop and gain international experience.
Overall, this debut showed that there is serious potential in young referees and they can take their place in the international refereeing system if developed in the right direction.