Azerbaijani judokas are making a strong impression at the 19th International Judo Tournament for law enforcement and military teams taking place in Moscow, Russia.

Axar.az informs the prestigious event features over 100 competitors from nine countries. Azerbaijan is represented by two squads — athletes from the Border Troops and the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

In total, Azerbaijan is competing with 13 athletes in the tournament.

Among the athletes competing for the Border Troops team are three members of “Judo Club 2012” — Eldar Gasimov (81 kg), Rovshan Bagirov (90 kg), and Zaur Bagirov (+100 kg).

According to Eldar Gasimov, a member of the national team and representative of “Judo Club 2012,” their team started the tournament from the round of 16, defeating the Kazakhstan team 4-1 in their opening match.

In the next round, our judokas faced the Armenian national team. Showing true fighting spirit on the tatami, the Azerbaijani athletes didn’t give their Armenian rivals a chance. With the same 4-1 scoreline, our judokas secured their spot in the semifinals. It’s worth noting that in last year’s similar tournament, the Azerbaijani team also defeated the Armenian side.

Our team was defeated by Uzbek judokas in the semifinals and will now compete for third place.

It’s worth noting that the Border Troops team includes Sadig Mahrramov (66 kg), Nadir Babayev (73 kg), Eldar GasImov, Mehman Sadigov (both 81 kg), Afig Safarli, Rovshan Bagirov (both 90 kg), and Zaur Bagirov (+100 kg).