Silver medalist of the Olympics in Tokyo, the famous Azerbaijani Karateist Rafael Agayev shared his impressions, told about when going to complete his career and said a pair of tender to his opponent in the final – Italian Luigi Buza.
“Congratulations to the Azerbaijani people with this medal! Today I could stay at all without a reward, and I could win gold or bronze. I went to Tokyo for gold. I do not want to offend anyone, but some athletes come to the Olympics to walk, just participate. I I came for gold. Unfortunately, I won only silver.
referee? I do not like justification. What was, it was. I was able to take a silver medal. But I do not fall in spirit. Today there will be training. I will prepare for the following competitions.
very happy with this silver. This is a medal that I did not have. Karate for the first time and for the last time is included in the Olympic program. 30 years dreamed of this. If karate had long been the Olympic species, then I would have been gold a few years ago
at the 2024 karate Olympics will definitely not be. Perhaps in 2028, but then my age will no longer allow. I plan to complete my career in 2025, and then I want to open my karate school in Baku so that this school presented the Olympic champions Azerbaijan. “
As you know, during the Olympic tournament Rafael Agayev twice lost Luigi Buze – at the preliminary stage and in the final. And at the awards ceremony, our karates did not shock the Italian hand.
“There are backstage moments that no one sees. First of all, you need to be a person, but then the champion. Champion to be easily, a person – hard.
There are many things that do not want to talk about. But the one who became the champion today allowed himself some actions … He could not get out of the group, but I helped him (Rafael advanced himself a place in the semifinals and lost to the Buz in the last battle of the group tournament – Ed.) …
If the judges counted the strike applied by me in the final, then the account would be 1: 0 in my favor and everything could work out otherwise. I did not give him hands, because he was not enough for this. But number one in the world is me. No, do not think, zazna and not admiring yourself … “.