Two reigning European Men's Elite Champions, Salman Alizada and Teymur Mammadov will lead the Azerbaijani nine-member team at the upcoming AIBA World Championships that will start in Baku on 26 September.
Both born in 1993, the defending European Champions are still quite young. Light flyweight boxer and 2010 AIBA Youth World Champion, Salman Alizada, was the youngest gold medallist in the history of the European Championships in Ankara this year. Heavyweight Teymur Mammadov also made an excellent performance in Turkey. Their main target is now to be crowned again in Baku.
Soltan Migitinov is one of the best WSB middleweight boxers. The tough Baku Fires member won a silver medal at the Individual Championships and qualified for his first Olympic Games, next year in London.
The young but strong Azeri team prepared together with world's leading boxing nation, Russia, in Chekhov and all its athletes are in a perfect shape before the World Championships.
Azerbaijan has great expectations in the flyweight division where European Championships silver medallist and European Youth Champion, 20-year-old Elvin Mamishzada, will take part. The young competitor moved up a weight class this year and will hope to reach the Top 10 in front of his home crowd.
Bantamweight No.1, WSB Baku Fires boxer and Great Silk Road Tournament silver medallist, Rahim Najafov, is part of the Azeri elite team since 2005. Despite his young age (23), he has enough experience at the international level to aim at his best performance ever during the event in Baku.
Youth Olympic Games silver medallist and AIBA Youth World Championships bronze medallist, 19-year-old Elvin Isayev, moved up into the lightweight class last year and had enough time to get used to his new weight. Isayev defeated Panamerican Champion, Cuban Yasnier Toledo, at the Strandja Tournament and might be Azerbaijan's secret weapon.
Light welterweight's 20-year-old Haybatulla Hajialiyev was bronze medallist at the European Youth Championships in 2009 and reached the same result at the EUBC's Elite Championships in Ankara this year. Hajialiyev also won the bronze at the 2010 Turkish Prime Ministry Tournament and will fight for a medal in Baku.
Even if 20-year-old Emil Ahmadov, European Youth Championships bronze medallist and Great Silk Road Tournament silver medallist, is a strong welterweight fighter, he will reach Baku essentially to increase his experience at international level.
Light heavyweight No.1, Ramil Aliyev, recently had an incredible victory over Russia's superstar Yegor Mekhontsev at the Great Silk Road Tournament. And he will fight with great expectations in Baku.
Last but not least, WSB Individual Championships silver medallist, Magomedrasul Medzhidov will fight for the very first time in a major international tournament in the super heavyweight class.
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