BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 9. This was my 6th Paralympic Games, Ilham Zakiyev, parajudoka player of the Azerbaijan national team, who participated in the Paris-2024 Summer Paralympic Games, said this at the welcoming ceremony at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport, Trend reports.
Zakiyev, who won a bronze medal in the J1 category at 90+ kg, shared his impressions about the competition:
"I was receiving treatment for a long time due to my injuries. That's why I couldn't prepare as I wanted. However, despite all this, I am very happy that I returned home with a bronze medal. In the first match, when I was fighting against my French opponent, the bias of the judges was felt. I dedicate my victory to my homeland and people."
Commenting on his persistent struggle at the age of 44, Zakiyev emphasized the importance of a person working on himself:
"When a person does his work with love, he can always get good results from it."
It should be noted that our country was represented in the tournament by 18 athletes in 7 sports. Our team finished the Paris-2024 Summer Paralympic Games with 11 medals (4 gold, 2 silver and 5 bronze).