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Chingiz Husseinzade says legionaries shouldnâ€™t be relied on

20 April 2007 11:52 (UTC +04:00)

Athletics Federation president, National Olympic Committee vice-president Chingiz Husseinzade interviewed by the APA-Sport

-You participated in European Athletics Association Congress a while ago. What issues were discussed at the meeting?
- European Athletics Association held next congress on April 14 in Kann, France. Several issues were put on the agenda. First was connected with the elections of association president, two vice-president and 13 committee members. Swiss Hans Yorg Viss was re-elected EAA president. The issue on changes in holding of European championship was also one of main discussion topic. European championship was organized in open air once in four years so far. Thus, world championships are held in odd years and one of even numbers they hold Olympic Games and in another European championships. It was decided at the congress to organize European championship few months before Olympic Games from 2012 on. But this championship will not be rating for Olympiad. Finally, European Cup is held annually. Male and female sportsmen join the championship in different cities and groups. According to the new decision, there will be European team championship from 2009. It is a new competition for us. After the discussions of above mentioned issues, they passed necessary decisions on amendments.
- Did you meet with the association leadership?
- Of course. We met with the leadership of European Athletics Association, as well as national association. I offered to organize international tournament in closed halls in Baku from next year. I told them we can include the tournament in the calendar if the first one is successful. Athletics arena is under repair now. It will be possible to organize the competition in all kinds of athletics, included in Olympic Games, except one or two in the arena. We will discuss the issue with the federations of Russia, Turkey, Georgia and other countries to determine which kinds of athletics are suitable for this arena. The competition will probably be called President Cup.
- Azerbaijani athletes fail in international tournament. How much are you satisfied with their achievements?
- I am disappointed. We are eager to achieve more but we should forget the reality. Athletics is the basis for all sports. I mean everyone starts training with jogging, coordination and physical activities, jumping etc. All of them are related to athletics. Our best sportsmen fist went in for athletics, and then they took up other sports. For example, our handball Olympic champ Refige Shabanova began taking fist steps in sport with athletics. Our volleyball squad members Oksana and Yelena Parkhomenko went in for athletics first. We have such a tradition that they go in for sports in childhood and then prefer others. A few years ago we had no conditions in the country to develop athletics. There were no relevant jogging places. But we repaired the jogging path of Tofig Bahramov stadium and State Academy of Physical Training and Sports. Athletics arena was in awful condition. It is also being repaired and probably will be a venue for international tournaments from next year. Sportsman needs place and recourses to train. Athletics has been developed much in the country in last 10 years. Now our athletes are joining international competitions and even qualify for final stage of Euro-scaled tournaments. Our sportsmen won two bronze medals in European Festival for youth organized by European Olympic Committee two years ago and other medals in international tournament this year in Moscow, Russia. I mean the improvement is obvious. We need to improve conditions more in order to achieve better results. It is impossible to reach highest level in athletics in one or two years. It requires at least 8 years.
- Azerbaijani athletes received white cards for previous Olympic Games...
- No, it is a wrong statement. Our athletes have never got white cards for Olympiads. Three sportsmen joined Atlanta Olympics and four joined in Sidney and Athens Olympics without white card. They scored rating points in different competitions. Unlike other sports, in athletics a sportsman receives invitation to the Olympiad according to the rating points scored from the beginning of Olympic year till the eve. It is very simple. There is a limit here. For example, they put a limit like running 100-m distance in 10.25sec or jumping 16.80m in three puts. An athlete with this result automatically passes to Olympiad. Dadash Ibrahimov ran 200-m distance in 20.75sec which was enough to qualify for Athens Olympic Games. Sergey Bochkov jumped more 17m in three puts and was a candidate for Olympiad. Unfortunately, he couldnâ€™t attend it because of injury. We managed to make Azerbaijani championship results be marked by International Athletics Association. We can take that athlete to Olympiad whose results meet Olympic standards. We will also score rating points for Olympic Games this time.
- And more concrete?
- We have three sportsmen able to qualify for Olympiad. We have a year and a half before the competition.
- We often meet such cases in world practice that they include legionaries in national squads. Do you intent to take this opportunity?
- I think, it is the easiest way to pick legionaries. As you know, we always had problems with female sportsmen in the country. I donâ€™t know whether it is connected with mentality or... We included Russian athlete in the squad. It was hammer thrower Marina Lapina. He picked her because we had no Azeri woman in the squad. But she failed. I havenâ€™t seen that a legionary to win medal in any Olympic Games. There were legionaries in other Azeri teams in Atlanta and Sidney Olympics. But none of them could win prize.
- Does it mean the legionaries are inexperienced?
- I donâ€™t think so. First of all, we should remember while picking a legionary that he is not a best sportsman in his country. No country would let its best sportsman to any other place. Besides, a legionary cannot have the same partiotic spirit and responsibility as local sportsmen. This factor becomes obvious during the competitions. Other Azeri squads pick legionaries to improve the crew but the winners are always our sportsmen.
- What do you think of legionaries in our football squad?
- It is a very complicated matter. We should confess that football is our limping sport. As you know, the Parliament approved a 205-2015 State Program on development of football. It is a long-term program. I think, AFFA implements the program requirements and take appropriate measures to find way out. This is federationâ€™s activity. I cannot say it is right or wrong. But i think the legionaries can participate in the squad but they shouldnâ€™t be relied on.
- European Olympic Committee president Patrick Hikky visited Baku a few days ago. What impressions did he get in Baku?
- It was not Hikkyâ€™s first visit to Baku. He participated in European Olympic Committee Executive Committee meeting in 2001 in Baku when he was a vice-president of the organization. State president Ilham Aliyev sent a congratulatory letter to Patrick Hikky last year when he was elected Committee president and invited him to Baku. He saw the improvement in the country during last six month. We speak of Azerbaijanâ€™s development everywhere but one needs to see it with own eyes to believe us. Hikky got great impression in Baku. He visited Taekwondo Centre and Field Hockey base and acquainted himself with reconstruction works in Haydar Aliyev Sport and Concert Centre. He also participated in opening ceremony of Olympic Centre in the region of Masalli. He cut the red ribbon with President Ilham Aliyev. They discussed the development in sports in Azerbaijan. European Olympic Committee president supported Bakuâ€™s candidature to host 2016 Olympic Games. He stressed many times that Azerbaijan has all necessary recourses to host Olympiad in 2016.
- What concrete support he can provide for Baku in connection with 2016 Olympic Games?
- It is not chosen by either Europe or International Olympic Committee. IOC has life-term members and elected members. This issue will depend on decisions of members. The committee work out proposals for elections but they do not hold elections. The IOC is to choose the venue for Olympic Games. Baku is not a candidate city. We just submitted the bid. The committee is to choose official candidates in September this year. The support of international organizations comes next. All depends on us. We have powerful opponents like Rome, Madrid, Prague, Rio-de-Janeero and Chicago. It is a big event if Baku is named among them.
- Maybe, thatâ€™s why some think Baku put forward candidacy to advertise...
- Such statements are ridiculous. Why do Yerevan, Dashkent and other cities not advertise? They donâ€™t even think of hosting Olympiad. No one would make laughing-stock of himself. If European and International Olympic Committees accept Bakkuâ€™s candidacy as normal event, as well as media, I donâ€™t see nothing like advertisement here. I have put forward our candidacy but we are not sure to win it. Big cities like Istanbul failed to win the contest to host 2004 and 2008 Olympiad. Moscow takes part in every contest. It didnâ€™t run this time because Sochi has put forward its candidacy to host 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Roma and Paris also lost the contest to host 2012 Olympiad. We have never seen that a city would attend the elections to advertise. Baku hasnâ€™t put forward its candidacy to show itself either.
- There is a tendency in the country that one person leads two Olympic sports federation. Is it connected with lack of suitable men?
- I can say by international experience that such cases are accepted normally in sport. Each federation want to be led by a person who has experience in sport. There is no difference in chairing two federations in organizing viewpoint. Elman Rustemov was elected a president of Chess Federation. I cannot say whether he will stay in post of Swimming Federation president. He might resign in next elections. Fazil Mammedov who was elected Wrestling Federation president is still a Field Hockey federation president. If a man copes with both federations let him continue to work. There is no problem. Personally I am a COC vice-president and Athletics Federation president. It is normal.
- But there are such figures that are far from sports...
- They are probably not interested in sport. It is not obligatory. They donâ€™t want to be engaged in sport...
- Did you solve problem with sponsorship of our squad in 2008 Beijing Olympic Games?
- Various companies provide their contribution. But the state can afford to deal with the financial problem now.
- How many sportsmen do you plan to take to Beijing?
- I can say we will join 10 games. In team competition either volleyball or field hockey squad will join the Olympic Games. It would be great if Azerbaijan joins team competition because only most powerful countries will compete there. We took 38 sportsmen to Athens but now we plan to pick at least 40. I predicted before Athens Olympiad that we would get 5 medals. It was true.
- We had no world champion last year but we regard 2006 as a successful year...
- One sportsman was a world champ but they took gold medal from him. World championships in various sports were in low level last year because most countries aimed to succeed at the year of Olympiad. Besides, a sportsman cannot always be in a good shape. /APA-Sport/