"Another important point I must note is that well-known athletes are always in the spotlight of society. It equally pleases me that our athletes behave appropriately both in society and in everyday life."
Medianews.az reports that on April 30, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said this while receiving athletes and their coaches who won medals in Greco-Roman wrestling, freestyle wrestling, and women's wrestling and became European champions in the team standings at the European Championship held in Tirana, the capital of Albania.
According to the Head of State, there are many historical examples of famous athletes, champions, who were not able to maintain this level in ordinary life, and after a while, their attitude as athletes changes negatively due to those mistakes or wrong actions. "But for us, as I said, at least in the approximately 30 years that I have headed the National Olympic Committee, to my recollection, such cases have not occurred. This is very important. No less significant than the medals is that champions and prize-winners should also display high moral qualities in society and in the teams they work with. This should be so. Of course, here there are examples of our champions—Olympic champions, European champions, and world champions. As I said, I used to cheer for those who led federations and coaches, and today they are cheering for their students. This is the continuity of traditions in our region. Historically, traditions have always played an important role, and this continues in Azerbaijani society and in the entire Caucasus region. This brings us closer together," President Ilham Aliyev emphasized.//Bakıvaxtı.az