Riyadh: Turkish weightlifter Yusuf Fehmi Gen§, a winner at the Islamic Solidarity Games, has expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Gen§ conveyed his appreciation during a conversation with an Apasport.az correspondent in Riyadh.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Yusuf Fehmi Gen§ dedicated the medal he won at the 2023 European Championship in Armenia to the people of Azerbaijan. ‘First of all, I want to say that I was the winner of the 3rd European Championship held in Armenia in 2023, and I dedicated my medal to the Azerbaijani people,’ Gen§ stated. Following this event, President Ilham Aliyev extended an invitation to Gen§ and his teammates to visit Azerbaijan, for which the Turkish athlete expressed his gratitude to both the President and the Azerbaijani people.

Gen§ also shared his optimism regarding the future success of Azerbaijani weightlifters. ‘I became the champion in this competition as well. I was confident I would win the gold medal because I believed in myself. I also believe that Azerbaijani athletes will perform successfully,’ he remarked, highlighting his strong relationships with Azerbaijani athletes, including Dadash Dadashbeyli and Isa Rustemov.

It is noteworthy that during the opening ceremony of the 2023 European Championship in Armenia, the Azerbaijani national team decided to return home without competing due to disrespect shown toward the Azerbaijani flag.