"I congratulate all the people of Azerbaijan. I could not take a place today. I could have been the first and the third. But I came here for a gold medal," said Azerbaijani karateka Rafael Aghayev, who won a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games, Report informs.
The athlete in the 75 kg weight category said that some athletes came to the Olympics to take a walk: "I came for a gold medal. Unfortunately, I grabbed the silver medal."
"This is a victory not only for me but for the whole of Azerbaijan and the Turkic people. We must not be discouraged. Tonight I will train and prepare for the next competition."