“Another important point I must note is that well-known athletes are always in the spotlight of society. I am equally pleased that our athletes conduct themselves with dignity both in society and in their daily lives.”
elchi reports that President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said this on April 30 while receiving the Greco-Roman, freestyle, and women’s wrestling athletes who became European champions in the team standings at the European Championships held in Tirana, the capital of Albania, as well as their coaches.
According to the head of state, there are many examples in history where famous athletes and champions could not maintain this level in ordinary life, and after a while, the attitude toward them as athletes changes for the worse due to those mistakes or wrong actions. “As I have already said, at least in the time I have been leading the National Olympic Committee for about 30 years, there have been no such cases in our country. This is very important. It is no less important than medals that champions and medalists demonstrate high moral qualities in society and in the teams where they work. This is how it should be. Of course, there is the example of our champions — Olympic champions, European champions, and world champions. As I said, I once cheered for those who led the federation and for the coaches, and today they are cheering for their students. This is the continuity of traditions in our region. Traditions have always played an important role in history, and this continues in Azerbaijani society and in the Caucasus region as a whole. This brings us even closer,” President Ilham Aliyev emphasized.