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Professional Azerbaijani Boxer Likely to Play for Russia

Society Materials 19 June 2008 12:23 (UTC +04:00)

Azerbaijan, Baku, 19 June / corr. Trend News R.Ergun / Ali Ismayilov, a professional Azerbaijani boxer, may play for Russia. "Sponsors prefer to work only with singers in our country. Only singers act in some TV commercials. No one thinks of us. I should borrow money to hold the game. If nothing changes, I have to accept offer to play for Russia, whilst I do not want it," Ismayilov said at the press conference on 18 June.

Ismayilov is one of few professional Azerbaijani boxers. He has been a captain of the Azerbaijani National Boxer team for a long time. He met with Brazilian boxer, whom he won with knockout at the second round, in St-Petersburg in May.

The Azerbaijani boxer said that he was planning to hold 2 fights on July and October of 2008. "One of these fights will be held in Los-Angeles. Another fight with Firat Aslan, a Turk, will be held in Germany. I believe that I can win the Turk representing Germany and take his belt away," Ismayilov said.

According to Ismayilov, 5 Azerbaijani amateur boxers will become professionals after the Peking Olympic Games.

He stated that he expected Shahin Imranov and Samir Mammadov, participants of the Peking Olympic Games, to gain victory. "We had good relations with Enver Choudri, the president of the International Amateur Boxing Federation. These good relations helped us in the Olympic Games, while this time our boxers will have to make hard job. They should fight by all force and return back with Olympic Games medals," the boxer said.

The correspondent can be contacted at [email protected]

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