The beginning of November has been marked by a series of coaching appointments within the Azerbaijani national taekwondo team.
According to Idman.biz, Gunay Zeynalova has been appointed to lead the women's team, Farida Azizova will coach the youth women's team, and Aykhan Taghizada will take charge of the cadet team.
These young coaches, with extensive sports experience and the ability to offer a lot to the next generation, have begun their coaching careers.
Despite the official appointments being recent, Azizova and Taghizada had already led their teams at least once at a tournament—the Gymnasiade in Bahrain. In Manama, Eljan Aliyev (78 kg) won a silver medal, and Seyidkhanim Mammadova (52 kg) claimed a bronze medal. Now, these new coaches are fully taking on their roles and preparing their teams for the new season.
The arrival of Azizova and Taghizada is aimed at giving young talents a fresh boost. Additionally, Farida has made a name for herself as a world champion among youth, and later, she distinguished herself several times at the senior level at the world championships, competing in multiple Olympic Games. In short, she has made great strides in her career.
Taghizada, known for his technical skills, has been a winner at both the European Games and the Islamic Solidarity Games. While his coaching experience is not as extensive as Azizova's, there are significant prospects for his future development.
A new chapter is also opening for the women's national team. For a long time, the team was led by the Korean Sun-Min Park, but now the role has been entrusted to Gunay Zeynalova. There is no doubt that we have talented taekwondo athletes, but they still need time to shine at the elite level.
It is entirely understandable that the federation is focusing on young specialists. Training sessions are aimed at the Los Angeles 2028 and even the 2032 Olympics. After all, the last cycle almost turned into a disaster: the sole Olympic license was won for Paris. In fact, Gashim Magomedov reached the final of the Olympics, which saved the reputation of our taekwondo school. The timely appointment of Mammad Abdullayev as the head coach of the men's team also helped fix the critical situation.
Thus, the upcoming season will be a new challenge not only for athletes but also for every individual coach.
Zəki Feyzullayev
Idman.biz
