This event was significant for the athlete, who had not participated in official tournaments for the past two years. In 2023, he stepped onto the mat at the Asian Games in China, where he finished in 5th place.
After that, his focus was on preparing the Kyrgyzstan national team for the Youth Asian Games in Bahrain and the Islamic Games in Saudi Arabia, which led to his unexpected return to competition.
In an interview with Sport AKIpress, Murtazaliev shared details about how he managed to become a participant in the tournament in Riyadh.
- How was the selection for the jiu-jitsu team conducted?
- In January of this year, the national championship took place, and the winners earned the right to represent Kyrgyzstan at international tournaments. The first of these was supposed to be the Asian Championship in Jordan.
- Who was registered in the under 85 kg weight category?
- The champion of Kyrgyzstan in this category was Salim Khunlov, but unfortunately, he sustained an injury at a tournament in Kazakhstan and could not go to Jordan.
- How did he end up at the Islamic Games?
- Salim was unable to participate in these competitions as well. Accreditation for such tournaments is conducted in advance, and as the national champion, we included him on the list. After the Youth Asian Games, I gathered the team and urged everyone to take their preparation for the Islamic Games seriously. Salim, who had not yet recovered, attended the meeting, and his coach also confirmed that he would not be able to compete. Unfortunately, it was not possible to find a replacement, as the accreditation could not be changed at the last minute.
- How was the decision made for your participation?
- We decided that I would transition from the role of coach to that of an athlete to compete in this category. Just 13 days before the start of the competition, I began the process of losing weight.
- How much did you weigh at that time?
- My weight was 93 kg, and I managed to lose 8.5 kg to weigh in at 85 kg before the start.
- Were you able to find a replacement for the coach?
- Unfortunately, no. Therefore, I had to both compete and coach the team during the competitions.
- How do you assess the team's results?
- We are satisfied with the outcomes, having won three bronze medals. However, the matches for reaching the finals were very controversial, and we need to work on not giving the judges any reasons for doubt.
