Azerbaijan’s professional boxer Fariz Mammadov won the intercontinental Golden Belt of the World Boxing Federation after he defeated Rudi Encarnacion of the Dominican Republic in a fight held in Baku on Friday. Although the two boxers promised they will have a knock-out win over their opponents, this did not take place. According to three referees of the fight, which lasted 12 rounds, Mammadov beat his opponent with a score of 120-109, 120-108 and 117-111.... читать

Azerbaijan’s professional boxer Fariz Mammadov held a news conference on Thursday to elaborate on his fight for Golden Belt of the World Boxing Association against Rudi Encarnacion of Dominican Republic. The fight to take place at the Sport and Concert Complex named after Heydar Aliyev on Friday will consist of 12 rounds, each lasting for 4 minutes. Mammadov, who comes the first Azerbaijani professional boxer to fight for the Intercontinental Golden Belt, said that he will do his utmost to win...... полностью

Azerbaijan’s international instructor and referee Suleyman Mammadli told a news conference on Tuesday that he has set up a new kind of sport – Turan-Do. Mammadli noted that Turan-Do, which features the martial system of ancient Turkic peoples, has been recognized by the world martial arts societies. “I have been engaged in Eastern martial arts for 35 years. Japanese and Koreans admit that the Eastern martial arts belong to Turks,” stressed Mammadli, noting that many Christian countries have hi...... полностью

The International Chess Federation published the list of the world’s 50 top chess players on Wednesday. Azerbaijani grandmasters Teymur Rajabov and Shahriyar Mammadyarov ranked 39th and 41st respectively in the list. The Russian team tops the list with 13 players.... читать

Azerbaijan’s “Azerrail” women’s volleyball team has faced the first defeat in the Champions League tournament as it lost Italy’s “Sant Orsola Assistel” club in the first match of the fifth round on Tuesday – 0:3 (16:25, 21:25 and 21:25). After five subsequent victories the Italian team is leading in Group B. The second match between the two teams will take place in Italy on December 14.... читать

Baku will host the European Championship among young taekwondo fighters in March 2005 on the initiative of the European Taekwondo Federation (ETF). Apart from the tournament, the ETF plans to organize a forum in the capital city as well, the Azerbaijan Taekwondo Federation (ATF) told AssA-Irada. First Vice President of the ATF Fuzuli Musayev will deliver a report on prospects for development of taekwondo.... читать

Azerbaijan will play a friendly home match against Bulgaria on November 17. A team of Latvian referees will judge the match to start at 20:00 at the Republican Stadium named after Tofig Bahramov, the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) told AssA-Irada. Azerbaijan’s national team started preparations for the upcoming match early in November. Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Torres has involved several new players in the squad. While in Baku, Bulgarian coach Khristo Stoichkov...... полностью

Azerbaijan’s “Azerrail” women volleyball team recorded the first victory in the Champions League qualifying, as it defeated “Kasilya Vinyare” of Poland in the away match on Wednesday – 3:0. The Azerbaijani team will play the second qualifying match against “Tenerife” of Spain, the last champion of the tournament, in Baku on November 18.... читать

Azerbaijani athletes have won 127 medals - 37 gold, 39 silver and 51 bronze - in various international tournaments over the last nine months of this year, Minister for Youth, Sports and Tourism Abulfaz Garayev said. Garayev said that Baku will host the European Champions League qualifying matches among women's handball teams and a world judo championship among military men in November. Garayev added that the Ministry plans to upgrade the "Kur" rowing base in Mingachevir District and the Track ...... полностью

A Russian coach is scheduled to train the national women’s handball team of Azerbaijan, according to the Azerbaijan Handball Federation. The new coach will replace former coach Rafiga Shabanova who resigned after the team lost Belarus in the finals of the European Championship. Assistant coach Igor Lektusov is currently training the national team. The Russian coach is expected to come to Baku in the first half of August.* ... читать

Azerbaijan aspires to host the Formula-1 race, according to the Friday edition of ‘F-1 season -2004’ published on the Internet. New countries are included into the list of hosts of the “royal race” every year. However, Azerbaijan is not likely to draw the attention of the F-1 president Berny Acklestone. “This country, situated on the Caspian Sea between Russia and Iran, does not have the necessary infrastructure that would convince Berny Acklestone”, the publication said.* ... читать

Azerbaijani grand master Teymur Rajabov has qualified for the semifinal of the world chess championship on FIDE version held in Tripoli, Libya. Rajabov (2670 points in FIDE rating list) was victorious against Lenyer Dominges of Cuba (2612 points) in the quarterfinal. The Azerbaijani chess player will play with Michael Adams of United Kingdom (2731) in the semifinal. In another semifinal, Uzbek chess player Rustam Gasimjanov will play with Bulgarian Vecelin Topalov. The semifinals will take pl...... полностью

The national football team of Azerbaijan will play a friendly match with the Kazakh team in Almaty, Kazakhstan on April 28. This will be the third game to be played by the Azerbaijani football team under the leadership of Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Torres. The Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) told AssA-Iraad that the Azerbaijani team was expected to leave for Almaty on Sunday to continue training there until the match. This year’s friendly matches played by the Az...... полностью

“Azerrail” women’s volleyball team is scheduled to play the second Champions League quarterfinal against Turkey’s “Eczacibasi” in Istanbul, Turkey on Wednesday. The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Tourism told AssA-Irada that the first quarterfinal held between the two teams in Baku on February 26 ended in favor of the Azerbaijani team – 3:1. According to the results of the two matches, the winner team will qualify for finals to take place in Spain in March and April 2004.* ... читать

Azerbaijan’s football team headed by Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Torres is scheduled to leave for Israel on Sunday. Ramiz Mirzayev, President of the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA), told journalists on Saturday that the national team would play a friendly with Israel on February 18. Mirzayev noted that the aim of the friendly was not just to win or loose but to discover and further remove the shortcomings of the team.* ... читать

UEFA is scheduled to allocate $1 million to boost the development of child’s football in Azerbaijan and to construct up-to-date playgrounds in the capital and different regions of the country. The Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) told AssA-Irada that UEFA and AFFA had reached agreement on the issue. The construction of a modern standard playground costs $27.000 to $30.000.* ... читать

The Azerbaijani football team continues preparations for the friendly match to be held in Israel on February 18. The team will be led to the friendly by Brazilian football specialist Carlos Alberto Torres. Torres is leading the team based on preliminary agreement. But the Azerbaijani side is expected to sign a contract with him shortly. The Brazilian specialist has included six Azerbaijani players, who are playing in foreign teams, in the squad.* ... читать

Under the draw made in Paris, the Azerrail women’s volleyball team of Azerbaijan will play against Eczacibasi of Turkey in quarterfinals. The first quarterfinal match will take place in Baku late in February, while the second one will be played in Istanbul a week later. The winner team will qualify for the next round according to the results of the two matches.* ... читать

The Azerbaijani Greco-Roman wrestlers won’t be competing in an international tournament in honor of famous Russian wrestler Ivan Poddubny to be held in Moscow. The failure is due to the wrestlers’ infection with influenza. The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Tourism told AssA-Irada that the Azerbaijani sportsmen failed to hold general training and some athletes invited to the national team by head coach Elchin Jafarov had become ill. The Moscow tournament was to be preparation for the Azerbaijan...... полностью

An international Taekwondo tournament to qualify winners for the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics is scheduled to open in Baku on February 21-22, 2004. Jalal Safarov, Responsible Secretary of the Azerbaijan Taekwondo Federation, told AssA-Irada that athletes from forty-five European countries would vie in the competition. Safarov said fighters occupying first, second and third places would qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics. Azerbaijani sportsman Rashad Ahmadov won a bronze medal in an interna...... полностью

Two Azerbaijani sportsmen were successful in the World Power-lifting Championship held in Vienna, Austria. Azer Rasulov, who was competing among eight young sportsmen, won a silver medal in the 90 kg weight bracket, lifting a total of 645 kg. Another power-lifter Bakhtiyar Guliyev (110 kg) became second among fourteen athletes, lifting a total of 890 kg.* ... читать

Azerbaijani boxer Vugar Alakbarov, a bronze winner of the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics, has qualified for a semi-final of the Olympic Games among military underway in Italy. Another Azerbaijani boxer, Shahin Imranov, a silver winner of European Championship, has qualified for a quarter-finals. The tournament will close on Friday.* ... читать

Azerbaijani sportsman Rashad Ahmadov won a bronze medal in an international Taekwondo tournament held in Paris last week. Ahmadov, who was competing in the 80kg weight bracket, qualified for the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics. Rashad Ahmadov also became a bronze winner of the last World Championship organized in Germany. The Azerbaijani team was represented in the competition with two women and two men athletes.* ... читать

Традиционный международный турнир по вольной борьбе состоится в Киеве 21-23 февраля. В соревновании примут участие 120 спортсменов из 15 стран, в том числе 5 азербайджанских борцов. Среди них также азербайджанский олимпийский чемпион Намик Абдуллаев. ... читать

A traditional international free-style wrestling tournament is due to be held in Kiev over February 21-23. About 120 sportsmen from 15 countries, including five Azerbaijani wrestlers, will take part in the event. The Azerbaijani Olympia champion, Namig Abdullayev, is also among them. * ... читать

Начались региональные соревнования Храбрых по военным и туристическим играм и они предоставят молодежи достаточный отдых. В соревновании принимает участие более чем 90 команд, и соревнование закончится 26 ноября. Команда победительница получит путевку в финал в марте следующего года. Игры организованы министерствами образования, обороны и молодежи, спорта и туризма. «Храбрые», «Орленок» и некоторые другие игры были ранее организованы при бывшей советской системе образования, чтобы лучше подгото...... полностью

Regional competitions for Braves military sport and tourism games have launched to provide youths with efficient pastime. More than 90 teams from 8 zones are partaking in the contest, which will terminate on 26 November. The winner teams will be qualified for finals in March next year. Organizing the games are the Ministries of Education, Defense and Youth, Sport and Tourism. Braves, Falcon and some other games were previously organized during the former Soviet education system to help youths ...... полностью

В Варшаве, Польша, состоится чемпионат мира по тяжелой атлетике с 17 ноября по 26 ноября. В соревновании примут участие 30 спортсменов из 300 стран. Представлять Азербайджан будут Агсин Мирзоев (56 кг), Эльхан Сулейманов (62 кг), Туран Мирхоев (69 кг), Афган Байрамов (72 кг), Натик Гасанов (85 кг), Алибай Самедов (90 кг), Низами Пашаев (94 кг) и Сергей Экикало (105 кг).... читать

The world powerlifting championship is due in Warsaw, Poland from 17 November till 26 November. 30 sportsmen out of 300 countries are expected to partake in the contest. Representing Azerbaijan will be Agsin Mirzayev (56kg weight bracket), Elxan Suleymanov (62 kg), Turan Mirzayev (69 kg), Afgan Bayramov (72 kg), Natiq Hasanov (85 kg), Alibay Samadov (90 kg), Nizami Pasayev (94 kg), and Serqey Eqikalo (105 kg). *... читать

Азербайджанский дзюдоист, чемпион мира и Европы Эльхан Рсабли выиграл серебряную медаль в весовой категории 81 килограмм на турнире дзюдо «Гран-При» в Москве. В соревновании принимали участие 56 спортсменов из 12 стран.... читать