"With Hidayat's title, each of us experienced very deep and great feelings."
Elnur Mammadli, vice-president of the Azerbaijan Judo Federation, told Idman.biz this.
He commented on the success of Hidayat Heydarov, who won the title of champion in the 73 kg category at the Paris-2024 Summer Olympic Games. According to Mammadli, playing the Azerbaijani national anthem in the most prestigious competition of the quadrennial is a matter of pride: "Like everyone else, I have a problem with it. When Hidayat stood on the podium as an Olympic champion and our national anthem was played, for a moment I went back to Beijing 2008, where I won the gold medal, and I saw myself there. The last time I cried was when I was the Olympic champion. And then this year, when Hidayat won the world and now the Olympic championship in Abu Dhabi, I cried. After 16 years, it was a double happiness for me that our judoka won in the 73 kg category."
Hidayat defeated Frenchman Joan-Benjamin Gaba in the final.
Banuchichek Huseynli
Idman.biz
