Azernews.Az

Azerbaijani judokas will participate in Las Vegas World Championships Kata 2024, Azernews reports.

Azerbaijan will be represented by six athletes in the competition.

In nage-no-kata, Malik Allahverdiyev and Ismayil Rzayev (both as tori - attacking athletes), and Samir Ismayilov and Ibrahim Aslanov (both as uke - receiving the attack) will compete. In katame-no-kata, Rafiq Najafov (tori) and Emrah Ahmadov (uke) will also test their skills.

It is noted that the World Kata Championship, organized on November 9-10,

Las Vegas World Championships Kata 2024 will take place on November 9-10. The competition will feature 282 athletes from 32 countries.

Founded in 1972, the Azerbaijan Judo Federation actively promotes this martial art across the country. Since 2015, the Federation has been led by Rovnag Abdullayev.

The country's modern judo history was laid by Mehman Azizov, who won a silver medal at the Old World Championship in 1998.

A year later, the winner of the World Youth Games in Moscow, Rasul Salimov, grabbed the bronze medal at the European Championship in Slovakia. Another national judoka, Elchin Ismayilov, became the European champion in 2000 in Wroclaw.

However, the achievements of Azerbaijani judo fighters did not stop there. Elnur Mammadli was named the best at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 73 kg division.

The list of the country's top judo fighters includes Rustam Orujov, İrina Kindzerskaya, Mammadali Mehdiyev, Elmar Gasimov, Hidayat Heydarov, Zelim Kotsoev, Ushangi Kokauri, and Nijat Shikhalizada.

At the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, judokas Hidayat Heydarov (73 kg) and Zelym Kotsoiev (100 kg) earned gold medals for Azerbaijan.