National table tennis team to test its strength at int'l tournaments

Azerbaijani table tennis players will participate in two international tournaments in February.

The national team will first test its strength in the Europe Youth Series to be held in Croatia on February 21-26, Azernews reports.

Shabnam Mansurova, Khadija Eylazova, Yagmur Mammadli, Banu Baytalli, Tunar Bagirov, Ugur Nazarli, Onur Guluzade, and Shakir Gadirov will represent Azerbaijan in that competition.

Furthermore, the national table tennis team will take part in the tournament to be held in Algeria from February 28 to March 2.

The team consists of Marziyya Nurmatova, Aylin Askerova, Yagmur Mammadli, Arzu Aslanova, Khadija Abilzadeh, Adil Ahmadzadeh, Rustam Hajili and Onur Guluzadeh.

The table tennis players will join the training camp under the leadership of head coach Farhad Ismayilov in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Vazir Allahverdiyev, Nihad Mammadov, Rustam Hajili, Laman Adbulhamidova, Zemfira Mikayilova, and Khadija Abilzade will arrive in Almaty on March 2.

Azerbaijan Table Tennis Federation has been a member of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) since 1995.

The federation joined the European Championships in 1996 and the World Championships in 1997.

Over the past years, Azerbaijani sportsmen have made significant strides in table tennis.

In 2023, Azerbaijani table tennis player Onur Guluzade captured a silver medal at the 23rd international tournament in memory of Nikolay Nikitin, held in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Also, the national female table tennis players brought home nine medals from the WTT Youth Contender held in Georgia.

Zemfira Mikayilova, Laman Abdulhamidova, Nigar Mahmudova, Khadija Abilzade, Marziyya Nurmatova, Aylin Asgarova, Arzu Aslanova, Aysu Aghayeva, Khadija Eylazova and Yagmur Mammadli won two silvers and seven bronzes in the tournament.