President Ilham Aliyev: The will to win is very strong in our athletes

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has received Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestlers who topped the team standings at the European Championships in Tirana, as well as medal-winning female wrestlers and their coaches.

During the meeting, held on Thursday, Aliyev praised the athletes’ achievements, saying their determination reflected the broader development of the country.

“The will to win is very strong in our athletes, and this once again reflects the overall development of our country,” he said, according to AZERTAC, cited by News.Az.

The president said Azerbaijan, as “a victorious state and a victorious nation”, takes pride in its sporting successes.

Aliyev also commented on what he described as unfair treatment of Azerbaijani athletes in international competitions.

He said such incidents were, in his view, more frequent at European-level events than at world championships, suggesting that some parties in Europe were not satisfied with Azerbaijan’s participation or its sporting success.

“Most likely, not everyone in Europe is pleased with Azerbaijan’s participation in European championships — not only our participation, but also the fact that we emerge victorious over all other European countries,” he said.

News.Az