Captain of Kur handball club Ramazan Muradov gave an interview with Idman.biz.
- Kur became the first Azerbaijani men's handball club to reach the third round of the European Cup. You were one of the key players in this achievement. Let's begin our conversation by discussing your journey in the European Cup.
- Certainly, this is an important event. We proved to everyone that we can play. The whole world saw that handball in Azerbaijan has made great progress. We passed the first opponent and didn't play badly against the second one. We had been preparing for the first match for three months. We promised ourselves that we would win this game, and we did.
- Did you not make the same promise for the second match?
- Let's just say luck wasn't on our side.
- Why?
- Firstly, we faced a strong opponent. Also, there wasn't enough time between the first and second games for good preparation. Maybe, if we had more time, we could have passed Haukar as well. Still, advancing three rounds taught us a lot. We saw European clubs, had the chance to analyze our mistakes. In short, it was a valuable experience. Next season, if we face any of the clubs we encountered this year, we will play differently.
- Ramazan, how many years have you been playing handball?
- My father is also a handball player. I was about six or seven years old when my father introduced me to his coach and teammates. That's how I started training with them. At that time, there were no age groups suitable for me, but that didn’t stop me. I played with older age groups for six or seven years. Some of my teammates were six years older than me. My peers started coming in around 2015.
- And by 2017, you were already the top scorer of the championship.
- Yes. At the age of eighteen, I scored 66 goals and became the most prolific player in the Azerbaijan Championship.
- It seems that starting early played a role in reaching success so quickly.
- Of course. During the time I played with older groups, they helped me a lot. But if I had played with players my age, only the coach would have helped me. I think this was better for me.
- Was handball your father's wish, or was it your own?
- Actually, when I was a child, I was more interested in football. But over time, I grew fond of handball. As a child, I didn’t know better, I just played for fun. But after dedicating six or seven years to handball, I decided to continue my career in it.
- You moved to Mingachevir a few months ago. Was it difficult to adjust to your new city?
- The first month was a bit difficult, but I eventually got used to it. Actually, I feel very comfortable in Mingachevir. We have all the conditions for training there. Plus, my wife is with me.
- Is your wife an athlete?
- No, my wife is a designer. She left her work and moved to Mingachevir with me.
- That's a commendable decision.
- I know (smiles).
- Do you think the interest in handball in our regions is satisfactory?
- Compared to previous years, there has been a noticeable change. Twenty years ago, if you invited a child to play handball, they’d ask, What’s that? Today, the situation is quite different. Ninety percent of the halls are equipped for handball. Almost 50-60 percent of our regions have handball schools. It’s just a matter of providing support, increasing the number of seminars for coaches, and strengthening their connections with coaches from the capital or abroad. Years ago, I used to referee youth games, and some of the kids from the regions I knew are now playing in our championships. There has been significant progress in handball schools in the capital as well.
- I noticed during your recent games that the team communicates in English, not just with foreign players but generally. This stood out because I usually hear handball players speaking in Russian.
- Yes, we speak more in English considering the foreign players. Actually, speaking in Russian in handball was a tradition from the former USSR. But let me tell you, the situation is changing now. Many handball players speak Azerbaijani. Sometimes I speak to the kids in Russian, but they respond in Azerbaijani.
- Interesting. Which teams play in the derby of our handball championship?
- Kur – Baku or Kur – Azeryol.
- You are a veteran of the Second Karabakh War. Can you tell us about your combat experience?
- I went to the army in July 2020. After two months, the war started. I was injured on the fifth day of the war in Fuzuli. At first, I didn’t realize what had happened. A shell hit my back and arm. I didn’t fall down, I bent over and when I opened my eyes, everything was foggy and covered in dust. I first tried to move my left foot, but I couldn’t move my right. When I touched my back, I felt holes and blood everywhere. I didn’t feel pain. Then I collapsed. (pauses) Our unit had some wounded, but no one was martyred. There was a guy, Rafael, who had been called up with me and we had become close during those three weeks together. After the war, I found out through social media that Rafael had been martyred. I can't describe how I felt at that moment. Rafael was only eighteen years old… May Allah rest all our martyrs' souls.
- Returning to life after the war must have been difficult.
- I spent about a year walking with difficulty. After a year, I started seeing progress. I slowly began to train. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d return to professional sports after my injury. The pain was too much, and in some places, I had no sensation. Then I joined the championship, and everything gradually fell into place. I played for Tehsil for two years, then moved to Qarabag, and later started playing for Kur.
- You said you didn’t think you’d return to professional sports. What did you imagine your future would be like during that year?
- I have a degree in physical education. I graduated from the Pedagogical University. I thought if I couldn’t return to sports, I would transition into coaching. In any case, I couldn’t imagine my future without sports. I watched other athletes and thought about how I used to be like them just three or four months ago. It was complicated for me at that time... very.
Aytaj Sahed
Idman.biz
