Judo Grand Prix: Youngest judoka Shahana Hajiyeva aims for gold
Azerbaijan’s youngest Paralympic judoka is determined to improve on her silver-medal performance at last year’s World Para Judo Championship by winning gold at the IBSA Judo Grand Prix in Baku.
Shahana Hajiyeva, 18, gained international recognition as a junior, winning a series of major trophies including the 2015 European Cup Cadet Championship U18.
Now competing in the senior 48kg class, she is training hard to take the top podium place in her home country, at the championship in May.
Hajiyeva said: “I have been training twice a day to prepare for the Grand Prix. It is a very tiring regime, but it is my job and and I love it.”
Success for Hajiyeva in Baku will also be an important step towards the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. “I am currently in ninth place in the world rankings. It is enough to qualify for Tokyo 2020, but I want to get a higher place in the ranking,” she said.
After the Grand Prix in Azerbaijan, she is due to compete in Uzbekistan, Italy and UK.
The IBSA (International Blind Sports Association) Judo Grand Prix is for athletes with sight impairments. Over 240 athletes from 36 countries will compete over two days, 13 and 14 May, at Baku’s Heydar Aliyev Sports Complex. Azerbaijan will be represented by 13 male and 10 female athletes.
Main picture: From left, Shafaf Hamidova (Aze), Shahana Hajiyeva (Aze), Olga Borisova (Rus) and Nursulu Yeraliyeva (Kaz).