Idman.biz
The main favorites of the Chovkan World Championship, which will be held in Baku in 2026, are the national teams of Azerbaijan and Argentina.
Idman.biz reports that this was stated by Farid Eyvazov, Executive Director of the International Chovkan Federation, in an interview with "Report".
He assessed the chances of the Azerbaijani national team in the world championship: "Argentina is considered the strongest team in the world. In all types of chovkan, this country is in a leading position and differs significantly from its rivals. The presence of polo fields in almost every region of the capital Buenos Aires is a clear indication of the importance given to this sport. The main favorite of the Chovkan World Championship to be held in Baku is the Argentine national team. In my opinion, Argentina and Azerbaijan will meet in the final. Currently, these two teams are the most realistic candidates for the championship."
The official of the organization emphasized that the Azerbaijani team is stronger than the representatives of Europe and Asia: "The teams that took the second and third places in the European Championship - Malta and Poland - also won the right to participate in the World Championship. Based on the current situation, it can be said that Azerbaijan has already left these teams behind and is stronger than them. According to the results of the Asian Championship, Uzbekistan and Pakistan are also among the rivals. However, Azerbaijan differs with a smarter game style, tactical approach, dynamism and speed."
The executive director said that he does not have the opportunity to watch the games of the African teams: "There are two big tournaments ahead - the South American Championship in Buenos Aires and the African Championship in Nigeria. The sport of polo exists in Africa, but for now I have not had the opportunity to closely watch the games of the teams in that region. Therefore, it is difficult to express an opinion about their level."
It should be noted that the II Chovkan World Championship will be held in Baku in 2026. A total of 9 teams are expected to participate in the World Cup. One team will join the tournament by special invitation of the International Chovkan Federation.
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