An international junior judo tournament dedicated to the memory of Vasili Oshchepkov was held in Khabarovsk, Russia, AzerNEWS reports.
Azerbaijan was represented at the competition by five athletes. The national team completed the tournament with one gold and one bronze medal.
Polad Hasanli (81 kg) emerged victorious in all of his bouts to secure the gold medal. Zamaddin Baghirov (66 kg) finished in third place, earning a bronze medal.
Around 300 judokas from 13 countries competed in the tournament.
Founded in 1972, the Azerbaijan Judo Federation actively promotes this martial art worldwide.
The President of the Azerbaijan Judo Federation is Rashad Nabiyev, who also serves as the Minister of Digital Development and Transportation.
The country's modern judo history was laid by Mehman Azizov, who won a silver medal at the Old World Championship in 1998.
A year later, the winner of the World Youth Games in Moscow, Rasul Salimov, grabbed the bronze medal at the European Championship in Slovakia. Another national judoka, Elchin Ismayilov, became the European champion in 2000 in Wroclaw.
However, the achievements of Azerbaijani judo fighters did not stop there. Elnur Mammadli was named the best at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 73 kg division.
The list of the country's top judo fighters includes Rustam Orujov, Irina Kindzerskaya, Mammadali Mehdiyev, Elmar Gasimov, Hidayat Heydarov, Zelim Kotsoev, Ushangi Kokauri, and Nijat Shikhalizada.
