Nasimi Musayev: 'We strive to secure as many spots as possible in Istanbul'

Interview of Secretary General of the Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation Nasimi Musayev to Report:

- Only a little time left until the Olympics. As always, fans pin their biggest hopes on wrestlers. We already have 8 spots. Can it be considered a successful result?

- As you know, the first licensing competition was the World Championship, held in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, last September. At the tournament, we secured 2 licenses in Greco-Roman wrestling and 1 license in freestyle wrestling. At the European OG Qualifiers in Baku on April 5-7, we secured 5 more spots for Paris 2024 in freestyle wrestling. Although this is more than the number of licenses obtained at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, we should not be satisfied with that. After the Rio Olympics, we will once again be represented in full force at the Olympic Games. Surely, we are proud of this accomplishment, but we do not want to stop and strive to go to Paris with a bigger number of wrestlers.

By the way, Baku hosted the European OG Qualifiers for the first time. How has United World Wrestling assessed the organization of the event?

- Our country pays attention to hosting prestigious competitions in any sport, and this tournament was no exception. Representatives of the highest wrestling authority acknowledged that the competitions were organized at a very high level. The atmosphere at the National Gymnastics Arena was fantastic, and we are grateful to all the fans who took the opportunity to support our wrestlers. We hope that the same atmosphere will be present at the European Junior Wrestling Championships, which will take place at the Baku Sports Palace from May 20 to 26. The organizational work for hosting this tournament has already begun.

- The United World Wrestling (UWW) has made the decision in connection with the semi-final bout in freestyle wrestling between Turan Bayramov and Frank Chamizo in the 74 kg weight category, which took place on April 7 within the framework of the European OG Qualifiers. How can you comment on this?

- Above all, I would like to highlight that both President of the United World Wrestling Nenad Lalović and President of the Italian Wrestling Federation Domenico Falcone have sent letters of gratitude to our Federation for organizing the event at a high level and in accordance with all the standards. We have not received any complaints or objections regarding the organization of the event from the Italian Wrestling Federation. On the contrary, they have stated that Frank Chamizo’s statements are of personal nature and do not reflect the position of the Italian Wrestling Federation, and the statement sent by the Italian Federation to the UWW concerned the technical issues regarding judging. We value our relations with our Italian colleagues and the United World Wrestling, and I would like to emphasize that this issue has not affected our relations. According to Article 53 of the International Wrestling Rules of UWW, the result of the bout cannot be changed after the winner is announced. This decision once again confirms Turan Bayramov’s victory in that bout and his spot in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. However, according to Article 22 of the International Wrestling Rules, the officiating of the match was reviewed, and sanctions were applied to several referees for their shortcomings in their work. This is an exclusive prerogative of UWW, and we respect such a decision.

- How is the investigation into Frank Chamizo’s allegations going?

- As we know, the UWW Disciplinary Chamber has accepted the appeal of the Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation and launched an investigation into the allegations of the violation of sporting principles. As soon as the investigation is over, the highest wrestling authority will make a relevant decision in connection with the incident and bring it to our attention. The Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation is always committed to the principles of “Fair Play”. To protect our name, we reserve the right to take other measures in accordance with the law and regulations of the UWW.

- How do you assess the level of preparation of our teams for the latest quota competition, and what results can we expect in Istanbul?

- Soon after the European OG Qualifiers, all three teams began training camps at the Guba Olympic Sports Complex. The two-week process, led by US strength and conditioning specialist Mark Alan Philip, involved intensive training to improve the athletes' physical strength and endurance. The last training camp will take place in Baku. Priority will be given to tactical and technical training at the Federation training base. We intend to win as many licenses as possible at the World Olympic Qualifier to be held in Istanbul on May 9–12.