Talybov’s coaches expect him to repeat his success

The coaches of Azerbaijani judoka Ibrahim Talybov, who won gold at the Dakar 2026 IV Summer Youth Olympic Games, have spoken about the athlete’s achievement. His coaches are Emin Isgandarov and Nicat Shikhalizada.

Isgandarov called Talybov’s victory in the 55kg category a historic achievement. He said Vugar Talybov became an Olympic champion in 2018 and, eight years later, Ibrahim repeated that success. According to the coach, achieving strong results among senior athletes will depend on Talybov, and discipline will be essential.

Coaches assess preparation

Nicat Shikhalizada, coach of the boys’ junior national team, said he had expected Talybov to win gold even before the competition. He said he was pleased that the athlete had kept his promise and expressed confidence that Talybov would repeat the result in future competitions among juniors and seniors.

Shikhalizada said several training camps had been held with the federation’s support, where Talybov worked on his technical, physical and tactical preparation. After a break, the judoka will compete at the national junior championships and test himself at upcoming events.

Azerbaijan is represented by 13 athletes across eight sports at Dakar 2026, which runs until November 13.

Context

On November 2, Ibrahim Talybov won gold in the 55kg category at Dakar 2026, bringing Azerbaijan’s team its first gold medal of the event.