(MENAFN- AzerNews)
Laman Ismayilova read more Azerbaijani karate fighters have claimed eight medals at the
2023 European Karate Championships in Guadalajara, Spain.
The karate team brought home one gold, four silver, and three
bronze medals, Azernews reports.
The medals came from Irina Zaretska (-68 kg), Farida Aliyeva
(68+ kg), Tural Agalarzada (- 67 kg), and Farid Agayev (- 75
kg).
Meanwhile, Emilia Mitlinova came first and Eldar Ahmadov second,
while Nihat Mammadzada and Ariyana Mitlinova took third place in
the European Para-Karate Championship. Azerbaijani para-karate
players were second in the medal standings.
With this result, Azerbaijan shared the 9th-10th places with
Croatia among the countries that won medals. Around 468 karate
fighters from 48 countries joined the 5-day continental
championship.
Next time, the European Karate Championships will be held in
Croatia in 2024.
Over the past few years, national karateka won prestigious
international tournaments, and European and World
championships.
Rafael Agayev has managed to achieve all of the highest sporting
victories in karate; he is a multiple European and world
champion.
For outstanding sports achievements, he was repeatedly awarded
by the leadership of the National Olympic Committee, and the Youth
and Sports Ministry of Azerbaijan.
President of the World Karate Federation Antonio Espinosa called
him the "Diamond of the Karate World".
Irina Zaretska is also well-known for her numerous international
victories.
She won a gold medal at the Karate1 2014 Premier League in
Almere, a bronze medal at the World Karate Cup 2014, a gold medal
at the Premier League Karate1 2015 in Istanbul, a silver medal at
the Premier League Karate1 2017, etc.
In 2022, Azerbaijani karate fighters grabbed six medals
including three gold and three bronze at Karate1 Premier League in
Baku.
Eminaga Guliyev (60 kg), Irina Zaretskaya (68 kg), and Asiman
Gurbanli (+84 kg) enriched the country's medal haul with gold
medals.
Bronze medals came from Tural Agalarzada (67 kilograms), Turgut
Hasanov (84 kg), and Murad Hajizada (+84 kg).
In February, Azerbaijani karate fighters captured five bronze
medals at the 2023 Karate1-Premier League event in Egypt, Azernews
reports.
Tural Agalarzada (60 kg), Farid Agayev (75 kg), Turgut Hasanov
(84 kg), Madina Sadigova (55 kg), and Irina Zaretska (68 kg) came
third in Cairo.
Three karate fighters - Aminagha Guliyev (60 kg), Ayxan Mamayev
(84 kg), and Asiman Gurbanli (+84 kg) were injured in the first day
of the race and failed to win medals.
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