The Ministry of Youth and Sports held a meeting with the winning athletes

A meeting with the athletes who successfully performed at the Karate 1 Premier League tournament was held in Istanbul, Turkey, and at the Intercontinental Europe Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Head of the Sports Department Farid Mansurov, the President of the National Karate Federation Yashar Bashirov, taekwondo national team head coach Mammad Abdullayev, senior coach Zahid Mammadov, athletes and journalists attended the meeting.
F. Mansurov praised the achievements of our athletes. He congratulated Farid Askerov and Mirhasan Seyidov on the appointment to the new post in the ANKF. The Head of the Department wished the 5-time world and 12-time European champion Rafael Agayev to become a champion in the upcoming Olympics.
Later, Y. Bashirov expressed his confidence that they would represent Azerbaijan at the Summer Olympic Games at the highest level. 
The World and European champion Rafael Agayev said he intends to win a gold medal in the upcoming Summer Olympics. 
It should be noted that 17 taekwondo fighters from Azerbaijan competed in Turkey. Eleven of them managed to rise to the honourable podium. Javad Aghayev (63 kg), Taleh Suleymanov (73 kg), Mina Akperova (44 kg), Sevda Pirseyidova (49 kg), Khanoglan Kerimov (48 kg), Ayaz Gambarli (51 kg), Ophelia Allahverdiyeva (42 kg) , Fatima Hasanova (33 kg), Nihad Abbasov (45 kg), Bahruz Guluzade (48 kg) and Yashar Mammadli (51 kg) won bronze medals.
In the Karate 1 Premier League Rafael Agayev (75 kg), Ayxan Mamayev (84 kg) and Nurana Aliyeva (50 kg) won bronze medals.