Young athletes representing the Children Paralympic Movement,
supported by Azercell, won 34 medals at international competitions
in the first half of 2026. The team claimed 9 gold, 12 silver, and
13 bronze medals.
One of the team's strongest performances came at the European
Open Para Powerlifting Championships, where Azerbaijan finished
among the competition's top-performing teams with 12 medals — four
gold, four silver, and four bronze. Sabir Zeynalov also claimed the
first European Championship medal of his career, winning silver at
the European Para Taekwondo Championships.
Among the standout individual performances, Aysel Ahmadli won
the WSF Shotokan Karate World Championship title, while Zahra
Salmanli made a winning debut at the BWF Para Badminton World
Championships as the tournament's youngest competitor. Ali Valiyev
also continued his strong run on the international stage, winning
six medals at international competitions, including the World Para
Swimming World Series.
Another highlight of the first half of the year was Azerbaijan's
first National Para Swimming Championship, which brought together
around 30 young para swimmers competing across nine
disciplines.
Azercell has been supporting the Children Paralympic Movement
since 2014. Over the past decade, the partnership has helped expand
access to sport for children with disabilities, creating more
opportunities to develop their talents, build confidence, and
become active members of society. It has also helped strengthen the
Paralympic movement in Azerbaijan.
