Azerbaijan Team Disqualified and Removed for Unsportsmanlike Conduct

The Azerbaijan team has been disqualified and removed from the European Sambo Championships held in Limassol, Cyprus, due to unsportsmanlike conduct, according to the international federation's website. All results of Azerbaijani sambo athletes have been annulled.

The President of the Armenian Sambo Federation, Mikayel Hayrapetyan, explained what transpired involving the Azerbaijani participants.

“During the final match in the 71 kg weight category between Russia's Magomed Gadzhiev and Azerbaijan's Emil Hasanov, when victory was awarded to the Russian, the Azerbaijani displayed unsportsmanlike behavior, which was followed by a chaotic and noisy entrance of the entire Azerbaijani delegation onto the mat, resulting in a scuffle and disorder. To ensure that we, the Armenians, had no involvement, I instructed all our athletes and coaches to leave the sports facility,” Hayrapetyan's statement is quoted by the press service of the Armenian Sambo Federation.

It is noteworthy that Aram Agajanian, representing Armenia, won a bronze medal in the combat sambo 64 kg category.