(MENAFN- AzerNews)
The Minister of Youth and Sports Farid Gayibov has met with the
athletes and coaches of the Azerbaijani national team who
participated in the 17th Summer Paralympic Games in Paris, France,
Azernews reports.
During the gathering at the Azerbaijan Sports Academy, the
minister congratulated the athletes on their impressive
achievements.
Faris Gayibov noted the pride that the people of Azerbaijan feel
for their Paralympians and expressed optimism that their
accomplishments will promote greater involvement of individuals
with disabilities in sports.
A video showcasing highlights from the medal-winning
performances of Azerbaijani Paralympians was also shown at the
meeting.
Following this, Deputy Minister Mariana Vasileva, President of
National Paralympic Committee Hidayat Abdullayev, and
Vice-President of the Committee Fuad Hajiyev, who is also the
Rector of the Azerbaijan Sports Academy, delivered remarks
congratulating the national team on its results and wishing them
continued success in future Paralympic Games.
The event also featured a friendly dialogue with the athletes.
It was outlined that both the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham
Aliyev, and First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva have consistently
provided support to the country's Paralympians, which has greatly
contributed to the team's successful performance in Paris.
The Azerbaijani team, comprising 18 members, achieved remarkable
success, winning a total of 11 medals: 4 gold, 2 silver, and 5
bronze. Among the competing athletes were Imamaddin Khalilov and
Sabir Zeynalov (both in parataekwondo), Said Najafzade, Lamiya
Valiyeva, and Orkhan Aslanov (all in paraathletics), as well as
Ilham Zakiyev, Dursadaf Karimova, and Khatira Ismiyeva (all in
parajudo), along with Veli Israfilov and Konul Suleymanova (both in
paraswimming), and Kamran Zeynalov ( parashooting)
They shared their experiences and impressions, expressing their
commitment to achieving even greater success at the XVIII Summer
Paralympic Games scheduled for Los Angeles in 2028.
The Azerbaijani team has successfully represented the country at
2024 Paris Summer Paralympic Games, earning a total of 11 medals,
including 4 gold, 2 silver, and 5 bronze.
This impressive performance propelled them to the 28th place
overall in the overall standings.
In athletics, Azerbaijani athletes won 3 gold and 1 silver
medals, while in swimming, they secured 1 silver and 3 bronze
medals. Judo and taekwondo also saw Azerbaijani athletes claiming
bronze medals.
Para-athlete Lamiya Valiyeva won gold and silver medals in the
100 and 400 m races.
Orkhan Aslanov, a two-time Paralympic champion in the long jump,
continued his impressive form, while swimmer Roman Saleh added
three more medals to his collection, bringing his total to 7
Paralympic medals.
Ilham Zakiyev, a legendary judoka who won his first gold medal
in Athens-2004, added another bronze medal to his collection, while
Said Najafzade improved his performance in the long jump to become
the Paralympic champion. Vali Israfilov, who won gold at Tokyo
2020, settled for bronze this time around.
In taekwondo, Imadaddin Khalilov and Sabir Zeynalov made their
Paralympic debuts by claiming gold and bronze medals respectively.
Khalilov's gold medal was a historic first for Azerbaijan in the
sport.
The Azerbaijani Paralympic team has made significant progress
since the Tokyo 2020 Games, where they won 14 medals including 4
gold, 4 silver, and 6 bronze.
Notable athletes, including Olympic gold medalists Lamiya
Valiyeva and Said Najafzade, proudly represented their country by
waving its national flag during the official country parade at the
closing ceremony of the Summer Paralympic Games.
The Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games brought together 4,000
athletes from around the world.
The event marked the first time Paris hosted the Summer
Paralympics and the second time that France has hosted the
Paralympic Games, after Tignes and Albertville jointly hosted the
1992 Winter Paralympics.
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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews' staff journalist, follow her on
Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr
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