Ilham Aliyev received members of the women’s volleyball club Rabita, winners of the club world championship

President Ilham Aliyev has received members of the women’s volleyball club Rabita, winners of the club world championship in Doha, Qatar.

Congratulating the volleyball team on the victory, President Ilham Aliyev said:

Let me heartily salute and congratulate you on the great win. The Rabita volleyball team has achieved great success at the world championship, has won the championship. This is a great victory. Your victory. It is a victory of Azerbaijani sport. Let me heartily congratulate all of you on this occasion. I know that Rabita has already asserted itself as a very strong team in the world. It reached the final stage of the previous European Champions League. And this victory demonstrates again the strength of the team and makes all of us genuinely happy.

In general, volleyball is developing successfully and rapidly in Azerbaijan. There is great traditions. Our national team also shows good results, playing on an equal footing with the best teams in the world. There are victories and defeats. At club level the situation is even better. We have some great clubs, and Rabita is certainly among them. This team has climbed up the highest peak.

Let me heartily congratulate you again. You have pleased all the sports fans, the people of Azerbaijan. The best result of all our initiatives in the field of sport is this great victory. Let me congratulate the club, the federation and sports professionals. This is our common victory, but of course, first of all, my congratulations go to the players.

The captain of the Rabita club, Natalya MAMMADOVA, thanked the President for the support of volleyball players in various competitions and for the attention to the development of volleyball in Azerbaijan as a whole. She said the success of the team is the success of the whole of Azerbaijan. The first place Rabita has won at the club world championship is the team’s present to all of Azerbaijani sports.

The captain presented President Ilham Aliyev with a ball signed by members of the club.

The President stressed that Azerbaijani volleyball players successfully take part in various competitions worldwide. Speaking about volleyball traditions in Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev said that there was only one volleyball club in Azerbaijan 11 years ago, while now seven strong clubs are competing in the national championship. Rabita’s victory is the best result our teams have achieved in international team competitions. It shows that volleyball is at the international level in Azerbaijan.

The head coach of the national volleyball team, Faig Garayev, stressed that the foundation of successes in Azerbaijani volleyball was laid by the President. He said President Ilham Aliyev is in constant touch with sportsmen and his support and advice serve as a good incentive for victories.

Faig Garayev also informed the President of the national team’s plans.

President Ilham Aliyev said the successes made in sports and the commissioning of a large number of modern Olympic sports centers have opened up extensive opportunities for Azerbaijan in high level competitions. This is confirmed by the recent world boxing championship hosted in Baku at the highest level. The championship was joined by sportsmen from over one hundred countries.

President Ilham Aliyev congratulated members of the club again.

After the meeting, a picture was taken.