Love on and off the field: Foreign athletes marrying Azerbaijanis

In today's sports world, where borders between countries are becoming increasingly transparent, it is not uncommon for athletes to find their love outside their countries. Idman.biz reports that the Azerbaijani sports environment, with its rich culture and traditions, has also been home to many international family unions. Let's take a look at some international "sports" couples related to Azerbaijan. Anatole Abang and Adelia Hajiyeva Football unites hearts: Anatole Abang, the former Cameroonian striker of the "Shamakhi" (formerly "Keshla") football club, tied his fate to Azerbaijani Adelia Hajiyeva. Their wedding celebrations, uniting two different cultures, were held both in Baku and in the athlete's homeland, Cameroon. Alfonso Dominguez and Nigar Strong families are also built in the world of combat. Cuban boxer Alfonso Dominguez, a silver medalist at the 2024 Olympic Games, found his happiness with an Azerbaijani woman named Nigar. Zeynab Javadli and Sheikh Saeed Al-Maktoum The marriage of Azerbaijani gymnast, international master of sports Zeynab Javadli and Sheikh Saeed Al-Maktoum, the nephew of the Emir of Dubai, is also noteworthy. But unfortunately, this marriage did not last long, and the couple broke up in scandal. Irina Kindzerskaya and Hamid Aliyev Irina Kindzerskaya, our Ukrainian-born judoka who won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, married Azerbaijani Hamid Aliyev. Valentin Hristov Bulgarian-born weightlifter, two-time European champion Valentin Hristov also chose his wife from Azerbaijan. Pourya Yazdanpanah Iranian volleyball player Pourya Yazdanpanah has been living in Azerbaijan for more than 15 years, where he started a family and raised two children. Tatyana Deniskina and Rufat Ismayilov Basketball player Tatyana Deniskina, who has lived in Baku since the early 2000s, is married to Azerbaijani judo coach Rufat Ismayilov, and their daughter Angelina continues the family's sports traditions by playing for the Azerbaijani basketball team. Anastasia Schwabauer and Ibrahimli Anastasia Schwabauer, a Kazakhstani weightlifter and world youth champion, after marrying an Azerbaijani with the surname Ibrahimli, began to represent our country in international competitions. She was later disqualified for four years for doping. When the forced break ended, she returned to big sports and is currently performing under the surname Mum. The athlete, who represented Azerbaijan under the name Anastasia Ibrahimli, became the European champion among girls under 23 in 2015, and won a gold medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games held in Baku in 2017. Lamiya Veliyeva and Thembo Monareng The story of two-time Paralympic champion Lamiya Veliyeva, who tied her fate with South African athlete Thembo Monareng, is also noteworthy. Rauf Mammadov and Natalia Buksa Current Azerbaijani chess champion Rauf Mammadov is married to Ukrainian chess player Natalia Buksa. These international families not only enrich the country's cultural diversity, but also promote the development of sports by combining the best sports traditions of different countries. Idman.biz