If you remember, on the eve of the First Summer European Games in Azerbaijan, everyone said that our country is a sports country in the world, and our athletes can work wonders. To be honest, our athletes performed well. However, our athletes are not heard at the Summer Olympics in Japan. At best, they won silver and bronze medals.

In the first years of our independence, when our athletes practically did not have normal conditions for training, they performed better than now. All conditions for the development of sports have been created in Azerbaijan today. However, for some reason, our athletes cannot take advantage of this situation and achieve high results. What is causing this?

Actually, this question should be answered by sports experts. They are not. One or two athletes say they have not been able to exercise properly due to the pandemic. Lies. The pandemic was not only in Azerbaijan, but also in the USA, Russia and Japan, which won the most medals. More terrible and harsher than us.

It seems to me that this is actually an excuse. One of the main reasons for the decline of Azerbaijani sports is excessive homelessness, nepotism, acquaintances and friendship in sports, as in all spheres of our society. This trend is reflected in all sports. I know many young promising athletes who quit sports for this reason. Sport is something that cannot be squeezed into someone's brain. Anyone is interested in a particular sport and can excel at it. Today, some parents see sports as a springboard for their child's future career. I have witnessed this many times when parents tried to instill it in their children. For example, a child wants to play chess, he does not allow his parents to say "no", he needs to be a fighter, or vice versa. This approach completely changes the attitude of adolescents to sports.

Another thing is that people look at sports as a source of income. Therefore, regardless of whether the child has the capabilities or strength, he participates in international tournaments and competitions in different ways, and this is the end result. An athlete who is oppressed by an athlete who cannot do this and who does not participate in these competitions and tournaments, either quits sports in protest against this injustice, or leaves the country and plays under the flag of another state. There are plenty of such facts. This is not a secret for those who work in the field of sports. But for some reason no one says this. The easiest way is to blame the crown. But this is not a way out. Think, gentlemen, think!

Yusif Sayyid