“I have been officiating in wrestling for 13 years overall”

Wrestling referee Bashir Isazade said this in a statement to Offsideplus.az.

The specialist shared his thoughts on being promoted to the I-S category, which is considered the highest rank in wrestling officiating:

“I have been representing my country as an international referee for 10 years. When I started officiating, my main goal was to manage matches fairly. To be honest, I wasn’t even aware of the existence of the Olympic category at that time. Shortly after I began refereeing, becoming an Olympic-category referee turned into my dream. Thanks to the support of our federation and the Referees’ Committee, I developed and matured in this field and eventually achieved my goal.”

Bashir Isazade also spoke about the possibility of participating in the Los Angeles Olympic Games:

“Like all Olympic-category referees, our chances of participating in the Olympic Games are considered to be 50 percent. In this category, where competition is at its highest level, God willing, we will have the opportunity to represent our country. We work hard and remain hopeful. Just like athletes, referees’ biggest dream is to represent their country at the Olympic Games. For me as well, this remains the greatest dream.”

It should be noted that referees holding the I-S category are eligible to officiate at all competitions, including the Olympic Games.