I watched the competitions as much as could, and I saw how much injustice was done to our athletes, President Ilham Aliyev said at the meeting with athletes who won medals in the 5th Islamic Solidarity Games, Report informs.
I told you in our meeting on the opening day of the Games in Konya that I was confident that you would represent our country with dignity. I am glad that this is exactly what happened. Once again, not only the entire Muslim world but also the whole world saw the power of our athletes. Every time our Flag is raised and our National Anthem is played, every citizen of Azerbaijan feels rightly proud. Every single victory enhances our glory even more. I told you during the meeting in Konya that you had additional responsibility because you would be representing a winning country in the Games. This is a factor of pride, but at the same time, it is a great responsibility. Realizing this responsibility, you represented our country with dignity even though, unfortunately, the judges were sometimes unfair and biased against you. I watched the competitions as much as could, and I saw how much injustice was done to our athletes. Despite that, you tried to prove your strength by taking correct steps – both yourself and your coaches – and you succeeded, the President said.