16:44

On October 5, the opening ceremony of the World Judo Championships was held at the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku.

Axar.az reports that the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the opening ceremony.

The head of state first met with Azerbaijani judoka Ahmad Yusifov, who won a gold medal at the World Championships held in Baku.

Congratulating the athlete on his outstanding victory, President Ilham Aliyev said:

- You have made our entire nation happy. The competition was very intense. All your opponents were also very strong. Winning the final bout by ippon is, of course, a great achievement. I sincerely congratulate you. Becoming a world champion is every athlete’s dream. I am sure you have also lived with this dream and reached this pinnacle, especially in your homeland. I sincerely congratulate you and wish you continued success.

You are still young. There will be many more competitions in the future. I am confident that you will always uphold the sporting glory of our homeland at the highest level.

Ahmad Yusifov: Thank you very much. I am grateful.