The Republic Sports Olympiad for Schoolchildren, jointly organized by the Ministry of Science and Education and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, is underway.

Three-time European champion and Olympic medalist Jabrayil Hasanov was among those watching the competitions yesterday. He spoke to Offsideplus.az about the organization of the event and the potential of young, junior wrestlers:

"I would like to thank the organizers. It is excellent to host such competitions. This tournament is just as competitive as the Azerbaijan Championship. I hope we will discover new talents here—whether from this competition or another (smiles). It doesn't matter. In recent years, our youth and juniors have been performing remarkably well. They secured four victories in matches against Russian athletes. Previously, we would be delighted with just a single win. If coaches protect these talented kids, why shouldn't we have even more successful wrestlers in the future? Every athlete must set a goal for themselves. Coaches and parents need to pay close attention to their discipline and routine. Back in our day, we were one of the top five wrestling teams in the world. We believe that within five years, we can reach that level once again."