Azerbaijan national judoka Eljan Hajiyev (90 kg) gave an interview to the press service of the federation.
The Azerbaijani world champion talked about his introduction to sports, his love for judo and his goals, as Idman.biz reports.
- How was your first acquaintance with judo?
- When my classmate started judo, I went to watch his training. I was 10 years old. After that, I became interested in judo.
- Do you remember your first defeat?
- The first moment of defeat was in the final of the European Cup. He was a local athlete. They gave me 2 penalty points in almost 10 seconds. I was very bad. It was my first race. I cried non-stop for 2-3 hours. I didn't know what to do. I can't accept losing.
- What are your similarities with your coach?
- Like my teacher, I don't like to lose. We have the same character. It doesn't matter what game it is, football, volleyball, I don't like to lose. Sometimes it happens that I feel like I'm going to lose, I cry.
- Who is your biggest supporter and fan?
- My biggest supporter and fan is my father. It can be said that he watches the competitions more than me and follows my competitors. He shares my picture. He is proud of me and I am proud of him. My father was an athlete too. It's just that there were no conditions at that time and it didn't last. He wanted to see what he wanted to do in me.
- Who has the main role in why you love judo so much?
- It was my personal trainer Hikmet Aliyev who created this desire in me. He created principles between us. Whoever won, he praised that person. For example, I used to go after practice, in the evening I thought that I would win the teacher's praise tomorrow.
- What is your main goal in Paris 2024?
- My biggest dream is to become an Olympic champion. I want to be a champion and make my father happy.
Idman.biz
