Azerbaijan sets sights on glory at 6th Islamic Solidarity Games Can the nation break into the top three in Riyadh?

The sixth edition of the Islamic Solidarity Games has begun in Riyadh, with Azerbaijan among 57 participating countries. Around 180 Azerbaijani athletes will represent the country, competing in 20 of the 24 sports on the programme.

At the opening ceremony, the parade of participants was led by the Azerbaijani team – our flag bearers were weightlifter Dadash Dadashbayli and volleyball player Nilufar Aghazada.

The ceremony itself was memorable for a colourful drone show and a small gesture of attention from the organisers to everyone present. On every spectator seat, including those where the delegations of all participating countries were seated after entering the stadium, neatly arranged bags with commemorative souvenirs were placed. The ceremony concluded with a spectacular fireworks display, which, however, was noticeably less impressive than the ones staged at major sporting events by our domestic pyrotechnic masters.

Now, the real fireworks of the athletes’ performances await us, including those of our own team – today, the competition begins for weightlifters, swimmers, and judokas, led by World and Olympic champion Hidayat Heydarov, whose performance in the under-73 kg weight category will begin in just a few hours.

So, what are the chances of success for our very strong sporting contingent? Let’s start with the fact that, with the exception of the first Islamic Solidarity Games—or simply the Islamiad—Azerbaijan has consistently ranked among the leaders in the medal table at all subsequent editions. Currently, we sit third in the overall standings after Türkiye and Iran, with 114 gold, 99 silver, and 85 bronze medals. While we trail Iran by only four golds (Iran has 118), Uzbekistan, which follows us, has just 56 gold medals.

This means that at the current Islamiad, there is no doubt that our country will fight for a place among the top three. We have an excellent judo team, represented by top-ranked athletes, as well as strong contingents in all wrestling disciplines and karate. These three sports alone could bring in at least 10–12 gold medals.

In addition, there are taekwondo, boxing, swimming, and fencing, which I very much hope will not leave us empty-handed in gold, just as our taekwondo athletes did at the last World Championship. I am especially counting on the swimmers and fencers—after all, when better to win if not at these Games!

Let’s not forget about the team sports – our volleyball squad, led by the legendary Faig Garayev, has strong chances. And the women’s handball team, finally, should fight for gold rather than just a spot on the podium. And of course, unless something extraordinary happens, I see no equals for our women’s basketball team, with all due respect to their opponents at this tournament.

It seems our table tennis masters should start winning golds as well, having competed in a sufficient number of tournaments in recent years and no longer able to complain about a lack of experience.

So, even with the most modest estimates, our sporting contingent should perform no worse than at the previous Islamiad in Konya, where Azerbaijani athletes won 29 gold, 36 silver, and 34 bronze medals, finishing fourth and trailing only Türkiye, Iran, and Uzbekistan. I am confident that this time, even if we do not make it into the top three (the aforementioned countries remain very strong – editor’s note), the number of gold medals will still surpass thirty. After all, the status of a sporting power must be proven in action. Don’t you agree, gentlemen?

By Vugar Vugarli, for Caliber.Az