OMM Redaksiyası
The opening ceremony of the World Judo Championships was held on Oct. 5 at the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku.
“Operative Information Center-OMM” reports that President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the ceremony.
Before the ceremony, the head of state met Azerbaijani judoka Ahmad Yusifov, who won a gold medal at the World Judo Championships in Baku.
Congratulating the athlete on his major victory, President Ilham Aliyev said:
“You have made our entire nation happy. The contest was very intense, and all your opponents were very strong. Winning the final bout decisively is, of course, a great achievement. I congratulate you wholeheartedly. Becoming world champion is every athlete’s dream. I am sure you, too, have lived with that dream and reached the summit, right here in your homeland. I congratulate you sincerely and wish you further success.
You are still young, and many competitions lie ahead. I am sure you will continue to uphold the sporting reputation of our homeland.”
Ahmad Yusifov: Thank you very much. I am grateful.
X X X
The opening ceremony of the World Judo Championships began with a video about the development of sport in Azerbaijan.
President of the Azerbaijan Judo Federation and Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Nabiyev said he was honored to welcome the global judo community to Baku once again. He spoke about the attention given to sport, including judo, in the country and highlighted the continued support for the sector from President of Azerbaijan and President of the National Olympic Committee Ilham Aliyev.
“I welcome the athletes to Azerbaijan, a land of initiatives, energy, new technologies and sustainable development, as well as sport, culture and traditions,” said International Judo Federation President Marius Vizer. He thanked the Government of Azerbaijan for its continued support for all sports and events, including the World Championships, and congratulated the Azerbaijan Judo Federation and the medal winners on their major achievements in recent years.
The event continued with an artistic performance.
The national anthem of Azerbaijan and the anthem of the International Judo Federation were then performed.
The opening ceremony concluded with a concert by renowned Italian singer Al Bano.
The World Judo Championships began on Oct. 4 and will conclude on Oct. 11. A total of 622 judoka from 93 countries — 335 men and 287 women — are competing in the prestigious event on the international judo calendar.
