"We are fully focused on the championship."
NTD basketball player Akbar Mammadov made the statement in an interview with Idman.biz.
The team captain described winning the Azerbaijan Cup as a huge motivation for the squad:
"Winning the cup is a big achievement for the team. In fact, from the beginning of the season, the national cup was our main target. Now, with that confidence, we aim to push forward to the league final.
The atmosphere in the team is very positive at the moment. Despite winning the cup, there's no sign of complacency. So far, only Qarabag Football Club has managed to win both the national cup and league in their sport. We want to be the first to achieve the same in basketball."
Mammadov also reflected on NTD’s performance in the regular season:
"Our team didn’t have the best start to the season, so we stayed in the lower ranks. But I don’t think that’s a major issue. According to the tournament regulations, even from a lower position, we can still qualify for the play-in stage and comfortably advance to the semifinals. That’s why I don’t believe our final placement in the standings matters too much.
Overall, the league has been competitive and engaging. Since the competition took place across both 'A' and 'B' groups, every team—including ours—has a chance to reach the playoffs. I’m hopeful we’ll get the results we’re aiming for."
NTD will face Absheron in the play-in stage.
Aytaj Sahed
Idman.biz
