Conflict Between Chairman of Referees Committee and Referee in Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation: Accusations and Responses

A serious conflict has arisen in the referees' corps of the Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation (AGF).

Idman.Biz reports that Afgan Habibov, a referee with a republic degree, accused Asif Shiraliyev, the chairman of the Referees Committee, of incompetence and unfairly removing him from competitions.

Afgan Habibov stated that although he plans to obtain an international referee category in May, he has not been allowed to officiate in the national championship and other tournaments since January. According to him, Asif Shiraliyev is behind this decision and does not provide any explanation regarding the matter. The referee claimed that the committee chairman used the phrase "I removed Afgan from the list of referees" regarding him.

"I will not leave it like this. Even if the decision is changed, I will not be given the opportunity to become an international referee. Because justice and competence are not compatible with this person. Many referees know this, but they remain silent for fear of losing their jobs. But I will go to the end," said Afgan Habibov.

In response to Idman.Biz's inquiry regarding the matter, Asif Shiraliyev, the chairman of the Referees Committee, expressed a completely different position. According to him, the only reason for Afgan Habibov's removal from competitions is that he is pursuing refereeing activities in parallel with coaching.

Shiraliyev stated that Afgan Habibov has a club called "Safavi" and he coaches dozens of children:

"A coach cannot be a referee. If a coach controls the meeting of potential opponents, it is difficult to talk about objectivity. He can do everything to ensure that a weak opponent falls to his student. For this reason, with the consent of the federation's management, we have prevented such cases."

The committee chairman added that the new rules apply to all referees:

"They must now make a choice - either a coach or a referee. Such cases will not be allowed, especially in children's and youth competitions. This process started with regional and republic-level referees and will be extended to international category referees in the future."