Azerbaijani tennis was awarded for its development in the international arena - PHOTO

The General Annual Meeting of the European Tennis Association (Tennis Europe) was held in Gdańsk, Poland, from March 19-21, 2026. Sabira Abdullayeva, Executive Director of the Azerbaijan Tennis Federation, participated in the event.

Idman.Biz reports that a traditional award ceremony was held by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) as part of the meeting. Azerbaijan was awarded a special prize for the remarkable progress it has made in the development of tennis, in a list that included countries such as Malta and Turkey.

Sabira Abdullayeva commented on the success achieved as follows:

"This success is the result of the hard work of us and everyone who tries to do their best. It is clear that the work we have done in the field of tennis has not escaped the attention of the International Tennis Federation. Therefore, the international federation has duly appreciated Azerbaijan's efforts and efforts in this field.
On this occasion, I express my deep gratitude to the President of the Azerbaijan Tennis Federation, Mr. Ogtay Asadov, Vice President Mr. Mehman Gojayev, and Minister of Youth and Sports Mr. Farid Gayibov for making possible the opportunities that pave the way for the development of tennis in the country. Of course, I also applaud myself and the head coach of the Federation, Yalchin Manaflı, who are behind this success."

The Executive Director, recalling that she was awarded last year for her personal services, stated that this year's achievement is of different importance:

"The feeling of pride I feel today when accepting the award presented in the name of Azerbaijan cannot be expressed in words. This is not just an award - it is the triumph of the highest feeling of raising the name of our Motherland."