Idman.biz
"I am used to competitions and victories. I think I have wrestled enough and achieved great success. Now I am at the beginning of my new job."
Idman.biz reports that these words were said by Haji Aliyev, an Azerbaijani freestyle wrestler who ended his career after the "Paris-2024" Summer Olympic Games, in an interview with AZERTAC.
The veteran athlete, who currently works as a functionary at the Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation (AGF), spoke about his new job: "I work as a coordinator of all national teams, regardless of age group. It's a job I know. I am with the teams in training and competitions. For example, the World Championships among juniors will be held soon. I will also go to the World Cup with our wrestlers. I think being with athletes today is a great stimulus for them. Since I have just finished my career, our communication with the members of the national team is completely different. We have a friendly relationship with them. Of course, respect is also in place. I train comfortably with them and share what I know. I try to ensure that Azerbaijani wrestling is always at the top and the number of our successes increases day by day. We are doing our best for this."
He also spoke about the current state of wrestling in the lower age groups: "Our teenagers and young people recently returned from the European Championship with medals. Of course, there were also those who were left without awards. This does not mean that these children are weak. Sport is such a thing that it is not always possible to win. We have a lot of potential teenagers. Sometimes children who take places in international competitions cannot produce results after being involved in higher age groups. I will try to ensure that such young people are not lost. We keep them under special supervision. It is not possible otherwise. Such wrestlers need to be protected. I hope that in the future we will be able to achieve good results with our work."
Aliyev also spoke about the possibility of becoming a coach in the coming years: "Of course, it is possible. The coordinator is a position that monitors not only the athletes but also the coaches' programs. In fact, there is no need to give them instructions. Because all of our coaches are professionals. They were also former European and world champions. Currently, the head coach of the freestyle wrestling national team is Khetag Gazyumov. He also has a contract until the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Anything can happen in the future. Changes are always expected. For my part, I will do my best for the development of our wrestling. The last time I was the world freestyle wrestling champion was in 2017. No one has repeated this result for 8 years. Of course, it's not a good thing. We have talented children. I don't want to name names. I believe that they will win the title of world champion."
It should be noted that Haji Aliyev is a two-time Olympic medalist, three-time world champion and four-time European champion.
Idman.biz
