“This was a top-level competition.”
These were the words of Azerbaijani national judoka Ahmad Yusifov in an interview with Idman.biz, reflecting on his performance at the European Judo Championships held in Podgorica, Montenegro.
Competing in the 60 kg category, Yusifov secured a bronze medal. He said the tournament featured many tough opponents:
“I had prepared very seriously for this competition. My goal was to become champion. Unfortunately, I had to settle for third place. All my opponents were strong. For me, the toughest were France’s Luka Mkheidze and Spain’s Francisco Garrigos. I managed to beat one of them, but lost to the other.”
Yusifov is already looking ahead to future challenges with a clear goal:
“At the next tournament, I’ll do my very best to win gold. My main targets are the World Championship and the Olympic Games. I’m working hard to achieve those dreams.”
Notably, Yusifov defeated three-time European champion Francisco Garrigos by ippon in the bronze medal match, earning Azerbaijan its first medal of the championship.
Aytac Sahed
Idman.biz
