Emmanuel Agbason, a 17-year-old member of the Azerbaijan national team and Sabah, spoke to Offsideplus.az:

- You previously participated in the U-20 European Championship, and now you are heading to the continental championship with the U-18 team. Will the workload be too much for you?

- I don’t think so. Of course, it’s a tight schedule, and I need to take good care of my recovery and my body. But representing my country is always a great honour. I believe that playing in the U-20 European Championship has prepared me better, and now I am ready to help my U-18 team in every way I can.

- How do you assess your individual performance in the U-20 European Championship? You set a record in one match. No one has ever achieved a triple-double with blocks in European Championships before...

- I am grateful for this achievement because it shows that the hard work and time my coaches and I have put in have yielded great results. But at the same time, it also shows me that there is still a lot I need to work on and develop. Over the next year, I will strive to become a more complete player. If my performance helps my team succeed, that is what matters most to me.

- You played against older and more experienced players in this tournament. What was that experience like for you?

- This experience gave me confidence. Playing against players who are much older and more experienced than me showed me that I can compete at a high level. At the same time, I realised which aspects I need to improve. I believe such experiences greatly contribute to a player's development.

- How do you evaluate the team's performance? Did you expect this result?

- As a team, we always hoped to achieve better results because we all wanted to win together. But at the same time, I think we fought well against strong opponents and gained valuable experience. Of course, there are areas we need to improve. However, I believe this team has great potential, and if we continue to work hard, we will come back stronger in future competitions.