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17-year-old judoka Khazar Heydarov was welcomed in Kharkiv after his victory at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar. Photo: Novyny.LIVE/Veronika Marchenko
17-year-old judoka Khazar Heydarov returned to Kharkiv after winning the gold medal at the IV Summer Youth Olympic Games in Dakar. He became the first Ukrainian to win such an honor in judo. The athlete was greeted by family, friends, and members of the sports community, and the champion shared his emotions after the victory.
This was reported by Novyny.LIVE citing comments from the athlete and representatives of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration.
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Kharkiv welcomed the champion
According to Khazar Heydarov, coming home after a historic victory was very emotional for him. His family, friends, and people who supported him throughout his sporting career came to greet him. The judoka thanked everyone who shared in his joy.
“I am very happy, very grateful to everyone who came today to meet me. It’s really amazing, words can’t describe it, it’s a very big emotion for me,” said Khazar Heydarov.
The athlete admitted that immediately after the final match he didn’t even realize what he had achieved. Only when he heard congratulations from the people around him did he understand that he had become an Olympic champion and won a historic gold for Ukraine.
“Then I saw everyone shouting, ‘Khazar, you’re an Olympic champion.’ That’s when I realized that I had won the first gold medal. It’s history,” Khazar Heydarov shared.
Family, friends, and members of the sports community congratulated Khazar Heydarov on his historic Olympic gold. Photo: Novyny.LIVE/Veronika Marchenko
The toughest match at the Olympics
The most difficult challenge for the Ukrainian judoka was the final bout. He faced the reigning cadet world champion, and the winner was determined only in overtime.
“All the opponents were very strong. The final match was the hardest for me because the opponent was tough—the reigning cadet world champion. I beat him in the golden score, in overtime, thanks to a shido,” explained Khazar Heydarov.
The meeting in Kharkiv
Head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration’s Department of Youth and Sports Konstantin Ananchenko emphasized that the young judoka’s victory is significant for the whole country. He noted that representatives of the sports club, the Judo Federation, the Dynamo society, and the athlete’s close ones came to support him.
“These are high results that he is showing now, and this is a result not only for the Kharkiv region, which demonstrates strong performance in sports, but for all of Ukraine. It’s very pleasant, and we are all happy,” said Konstantin Ananchenko.
Novyny.LIVE reported that Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov met with Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Gvozdyk. They discussed the development of youth sports and sports rehabilitation for veterans. During the meeting, the mayor emphasized that the victories of Ukrainian athletes strengthen the country’s reputation on the international stage.
Earlier Novyny.LIVE reported that Kharkiv athletes won silver and bronze medals at the Acrobatic Rock’n’Roll World Championship in Switzerland. Yehor Aleynikov and Daria Dmytruk finished second among adults in the contact style. Dmytro Oliynyk and Olha Ivanchuk became bronze medalists. The competition featured 252 athletes from 18 countries.
Novyny.LIVE also wrote that athletes from the Kharkiv region won three medals at the European Taekwondo Championships. Dariya Kostenyevich won four matches and took the silver medal. Brothers Oleksandr and Andriy Chumachenko won bronze medals in their weight categories. Both athletes are products of the KhTZ sports school in Kharkiv.
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