From Viral Moments to Bronze Medals: "My daughter became famous in two days”

"I didn’t even know we were being filmed."

Svetlana Babayeva, mother of Tovsiyya Babayeva, a participant in the U18 Azerbaijan Judo Championship, shared her thoughts with Idman.biz about the unexpected attention their footage received during the event.

She commented on the viral moment involving her daughter: "At that moment, I was only focused on Tovsiyya's performance. It never crossed my mind that the whole country might watch these images. Everyone is sending me the video, even relatives abroad. My daughter became famous in just two days. We enrolled her in gymnastics when she was four years old. At around eight or nine, we switched her to judo. During her early days in judo, teachers at school would tell Tovsiyya she didn’t need it, saying, 'You’re a delicate girl, and if you continue, you’ll become rough in the future.' But I always supported her. I told her not to listen to anyone and to focus on working hard. People often say girls in judo become rough, which deeply bothers me. I believe behavior is a matter of upbringing—everything starts with the family."

Svetlana highlighted the importance of family support in sports: "I used to work as a human resources specialist. After Tovsiyya started judo, I quit my job to support her. Sports is a very demanding field. A child needs strict discipline. They must attend training on time, maintain proper nutrition, and have a healthy sleep routine. There has to be someone overseeing all of this. It’s incredibly difficult to go down this path alone. I also have a son, but I would never want him to pursue judo. I don’t think I have the strength to go through this journey a second time. Parents with two children succeeding in sports deserve a monument. I already feel so anxious over one child. I’m doing everything I can to help Tovsiyya succeed and will continue to do so."