Report.az
The "Azerbaijan International Challenge 2026" tournament held in Baku has been a great experience for young badminton players.
This was stated by Morteza Validarvi, head coach of the Azerbaijani national team, in an interview with "Report".
The Iranian specialist highly appreciated the level of the tournament:
"347 athletes from 44 countries competed in the six-day competition. Strong badminton players who participated in the last Summer Olympic Games also joined the tournament. This shows that the level of the international tournament held annually in Baku is increasing further, and Azerbaijan has proven itself in the world and European badminton calendars. Athletes from distant countries such as India, Canada, the USA and the UAE, as well as foreign coaches and the judges we invited, were also very satisfied with the organization. The live broadcast of the competition demonstrated to the whole world that Azerbaijan is capable of holding such events in high discipline and security."
The head coach emphasized the importance of the tournament for local youth and assessed the performance of Azerbaijani athletes:
"We gave a chance to 15 young athletes in this competition. Among them, there was even a 13-year-old badminton player. It is an invaluable experience for young people to compete on the same court with Olympians and world-class stars in Baku, to play against them. The tournament was also a great opportunity for our young badminton players. When we send them abroad, when we organize training camps there, there are certain difficulties both in terms of athletes and budget. For example, the family will not allow a 13-year-old child to be sent abroad. But in a competition organized in Azerbaijan, we can watch them compete with foreign athletes and get to know their potential closely. Unfortunately, our leaders Edi Reski Dviçayo withdrew from the competition due to injury, and Keyşa Fatimə Zəhra stopped competing after injuring her knee in the first match. However, she had shown good results in the tournament held last year. Leyla Camalzadə and Həcər Nuriyeva showed a good game in the girls' doubles competition."
M.Validravi also spoke about the goals:
"The goal is to achieve results in Europe with local athletes. The preparation process for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games will start in March this year. We will try to prepare the children for this competition at a high level and achieve results in two years. I believe that such tournaments will be held more often in Azerbaijan and will help to reveal the potential of children."
