"However the world's most promising sub-teen currently (September 1999) is none of the above but Teimur Radjabov (12 years 5 months), FIDE rating 2438, reigning World and European U12 champion (Nakamura disappointed in the World U12 and Murugan in both U10s), who scored 6½/11 in the Biel Open against stronger opposition than Nakamura's in the US Open. Radjabov is having training from Korchnoi and, like Kasparov, comes from Baku."
1. Azerbaijan's best competitive results 06/11/03 H Yugoslavia 2-1 ECQ 20/11/03 A Yugoslavia 2-2 ECQ Azerbaijan 0-0 Moldova WCQ Azerbaijan 1-1 Macedonia WCQ 06/06/01 H Slovakia 2-0 WCQ 04/09/99 H Portugal 1-1 ECQ 05/06/99 H Liechtenstein 4-0 ECQ 31/08/96 H Switzerland 1-0 WCQ 15/11/95 H(N) Poland 0-0 ECQ 2. Are there any Azerbaijanis abroad? A lot in Russia, some in Iran, couple in Bulgaria, and one should be heading to Hammarby IF, and also a few in Finland. Two Azeris, Kamal Guliyev and Samir Aliyev signed for Ukrainian Premiere League team SC-Lutsk, and on their debuts Aliyev scored a goal to help Lutsk win 2-0. 3 other Azeris signed for Iranian team. Nazim Suleymanov - was Russia's league all-time scorer (top 10), He was the leading scorer and captain of Alania in 95 when they beat Spartak in the final to win the championship. Deni Gaisumov - was one of Russian leagues best defenders. Veli Kasumov - was Russian leagues leadig scorer in '92 or '93, he also played in Vitoria Setabol (Por), and Real Betis. Igor Ponomarev - lives in Sweden and coached some clubs there, during his career he won 88 Olympics and was the first Azeri to play abroad. Currently, his son Ruslan plays for Azerbaijan. So far these are the players who play abroad: Elchin Rahmanov - HJK or Jazz (Finland) Rufat Guliyev- all Iran Emil Kitelman Vidadi Rizayev Nadir Shukurov Ramiz Mamedov --some more players that i forgot names of Mubariz Ordjuev- CSKA Sofia (Bul) Elshan Gambarov- (Uzebekistan) league top-scorer Emin Agaev- Khimki (Russian 2nd) Vycheslav Lychkin- Torpedo Zil (Russia) Dmitri Kramarenko- CSKA Moscow Gurban Gurbanov- Fakel Voronzeh (Russia) Kamal Aliyev- SC- Volyn Lutsk (Ukr) Samir Aliyev- SC- Volyn Lutsk (Ukr) Farrukh Ismayilov- Lada (Russia 2nd) Narvik Sirkhayev- Lokomotiv Moscow (Azeri by citizenship) He's a top 10 scorer in Russia. Romal Huseynov- Hammarby IF in 2003 (Swe) Zaur Tagizade- FC Shafa ---- he's been scouted by Hammarby, Swindon Town, Italian, and Spanish teams, he's the country's best player.
The XXVII Olympic Games are continuing in Sydney. And almost every day of
these Olympics has been bringing good surprises for Azeris. Azerbaijans
national Olympic team, which has been comprised of only 31 sportsmen, are
beating all records as the team have already won two gold medals and one
bronze and took the 30th spot among almost 200 teams. The 1996 Olympic
silver medallist free-styler Namig Abdullayev beat Samuel Hanson of
U.S. in 54kg category, the person he was beaten by in the 1998 World
Championship final in Tehran. The Azeri wrestler took the advantage from
the very minutes of the fight against the American he was seeking to
revenge for his loss in the 1998 World Championship final. The gold is the
second for independent Azerbaijan and 15th during the whole history of
Olympic Games for Azeris as they had competed within the USSR team for
decades. We would remind you that the first Olympic gold arrived when
Zemfira Meftaheddinova broke the world record and took gold in skeet
shooting. Besides, Vugar Alakbarov took a bronze medal in 75kg category
which allowed Azerbaijan to take the 30th spot within almost 200 teams.
AZERBAIJAN SEEKS SECOND GOLD IN OLYMPICS
Free-stylers joined the battle for medals of the Sydney Olympics the other
day. Azerbaijans Namig Abdullayev, the silver prize-winner of Atlanta96,
entered the ranks of medal pretenders on September 28. In first fight,
Abdullayev beat a Korean sportsman 6-0 and left no chances for his next
rival from New Zealand - 10-0. In semi-finals, Abdullayevs rival was
Greeces Amiran Karitanov. The Greek was beaten like all of Abdullayevs
previous rivals to give the Azeri the chance to try his luck for Olympic
gold for the second time in a row.
Zemfira Meftakhetdinova of Azerbaijan won the women's skeet title at the Olympic Games on Thursday, September 21.
Azerbaijan's team sports performance has been well below its true capability, mainly due to financial reasons. Even traditionally strong chess players do poorly (FIDE, the chess association, has not received its annual fee for several years now!). The soccer team, in horrible shape, did not make it to the World Cup in France'98; no medals were received in Nagano Winter Olympics (which was Azerbaijan's first winter Olympic Game); only one silver medal in Olympic Game's in Atlanta'96 was received, etc. Only fighting sports are doing well, especially Karate, where Azerbaijani team persistently takes top places, such as Bronze medal in 1994, Silver in 1997 (beating Japan!) and again Silver in the recent championship in summer of 2000. Yet even this phenominal success might not be too long -- the team might be unable to make it to this years championship. Thankfully, the new generation of sports professionals, whether in chess or soccer, leave many hopes.
Azerbaijan enjoys a long tradition of organised athletics. Beset by fiscal crises, however, the government of independent Azerbaijan has had to reduce support for sports. The national football team, made up of players from the country's dozens of amateur and semiprofessional clubs, has suffered from a lack of sponsors and funds and has fared poorly in international competition.
Azerbaijanis boast a distinguished record in boxing, a sport introduced by European oil-refinery workers in the late 19th century. The Boxing Federation of Azerbaijan was established in 1924, and its members successfully competed in matches throughout the Soviet Union and abroad. In recent years, heavyweight boxer Adalat Mammadov has fared well in international competition. Azerbaijani judoists have earned similarly strong rankings. In fencing, Elena Jemaeva captured the 1999 world championship title in women's sabre.
Azerbaijan formed a national Olympic committee in 1992 and was recognised by the International Olympic Committee in 1993. Between 1952 and 1988, Azerbaijani athletes participated in several Olympiads as part of the Soviet team, winning 13 gold, 11 silver and 8 bronze medals; the first Azerbaijani medal of that era came in 1952, when freestyle wrestler Rashid Mamedbekov returned from Helsinki with second-place honours in the 52-kilogram category. Playing for their own country, Azerbaijani athletes entered 10 events in the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta. Namig Abdullayev earned a silver medal in the 52-kilogram category of freestyle wrestling. Five Azerbaijani figure skaters also competed at the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano but did not place. Among the country's best-known Olympians are gymnast Valery Belenky, fencer Ilgar Mammadov and judo specialist Nazim Huseinov.