"The U21 national championship was highly beneficial for our athletes."
These were the words of Elnur Amanov, head coach of Azerbaijan's U21 national taekwondo team, in an interview with Idman.biz.
Sharing his thoughts on the tournament, Amanov highlighted the significant progress made by the Azerbaijan Taekwondo Federation in recent years, introducing various innovations: "One of these initiatives was organizing the U21 national championship for the first time. The tournament featured European champions and medalists. Young athletes often face challenges when transitioning to higher age groups. Some adapt quickly, while others take time to prove themselves in such competitions. This event provided them with an opportunity to test their strength at the U21 level.
Amanov emphasized that the main goal of the championship was to form a strong national team in this age category: "Most of the champions in this competition were our younger athletes. As you know, the first-ever U21 World Championship will take place soon. This tournament played a crucial role in selecting the national team members for that event. Additionally, our champions will represent Azerbaijan in the upcoming CIS Games, which will be held in our country."
Notably, the two-day championship saw 165 taekwondo athletes (107 men and 58 women) competing for the title. A total of 16 weight category winners and medalists were determined.
Aytaj Sahed
Idman.biz
