Azerbaijani karate fighters to compete in Austrian Premier League

Azerbaijani karate fighters will compete in Karate 1-Premier League that will take place on February 28 in Salzburg, Austria.

Fourteen karate fighters will represent Azerbaijan in the three-day competition, according to the country’s National Karate Federation. 

In Kumite, head coaches Baheddin Kandaz (in men’s category), Denis Morozov (in women’s division), senior coach Shahin Khudaverdiyev will lead the team of athletes Firdovsi Farzaliyev (60 kg), Rafiz Hasanov and Tural Aghalarzade (both 67 kg), Rafael Aghayev (75 kg), Aykhan Mamayev, Panah Abdullayev and Turgut Hasanov (each 84 kg), Shahin Atamov and Asiman Gurbanli (+84 kg), as well as Nurana Aliyeva (50 kg), Ilaha Gasimova (55 kg), Irina Zaretska (68 kg) and Farida Aliyeva (+68 kg).

Roman Heydarov will compete in Kata competitions accompanied by senior coach Vahid Ayvazov.

Azerbaijani referee of the international category Jahangir Babayev will also be among those to manage the Premier League, one of the most prestigious leagues of the World Karate Federation (WKF). Six hundred twenty-five karate fighters from 88 countries will compete in the tournament, which will bring points to athletes in the world and Olympic ranking.

Earlier, Irina Zaretska won the license for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games in the Karate1 Premier League in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Rafael Aghayev needs three wins in Salzburg to qualify.