Sport24.az
Askhab Kalayev, a weightlifter who has repeatedly won the title of Azerbaijani champion, shared his memories of the 44-day Patriotic War.
Currently, he is the head coach of weightlifting at the "Neftchi Sports Club" Public Union, as well as the head of the international cooperation and public relations department of the Azerbaijan Deaflympics Committee. During the war, he was an artillery commander. Sport24.az presents Askhab Kalayev's interview with Idman.biz.
– How did your participation in the Patriotic War begin?
– When the war started, I was serving in the artillery troops in the Tartar region. I joined the battles almost from the first minutes. I was an artillery commander.
– When did the war end for you?
– When Pashinyan signed the act of capitulation. I will never forget that day. It is impossible to express in words the joy and feelings we experienced at that moment – you just have to live it. We first advanced from Sugovushan, then through Aghdara to Murovdag. We heard the news of victory there.
– What moments have left the biggest impression on your memory after five years?
– Unfortunately, war is not only made up of moments full of pride and joy. I will never forget our martyrs who fought shoulder to shoulder with me. It was precisely because of these memories that it took me a long time to return to sports. Although before the war, I had repeatedly been the Azerbaijani champion and cup winner among both youth and adults.
– Could it be that training helped you get rid of these memories…
– You know, body wounds heal over time, but soul wounds never do. I couldn't return to training for about four years – I felt an inner emptiness, I had no motivation. Only after a conversation with the new leadership of the federation at the beginning of this year did I start training again.
– What are your plans for the future?
– I am thinking of participating in the Azerbaijan Cup in November. I had just finished training when you called.
– What could stop you from this goal? We hope that it is not one of the main problems of our weightlifting – doping…
– Of course not (laughs)! But I have seen this problem a lot throughout my career. Some took doping, but the whole team suffered the punishment. It was very unfair. Athletes like me who never used banned substances were also left out of the most important competitions such as the European and world championships. Thank God that now, under the new leadership, the issue of doping is being eradicated at its root. AMADA (Anti-Doping Agency) also checks us regularly.
