Not as spectacular as Logan Tom‘s but she deserves a lot of thumbs up because she’s only 21!
Azerbaijan really has a bright future after the Olympics in London. We expect them to achieve better results starting this year up to the next Olympics to be held in Rio De Janeiro. The Azeri League is becoming more competitive and the National Team gets the support they need from the government. Also, there are young talented players on the rise like Polina Rahimova to join the powerful wings of Natalya Mammadova and Oksana Parkhomenko.
Seriously, if these players remain healthy and the rest of the team continue to develop then we’d see another strong team on the rise from Europe – the world’s most competitive volleyball zone.
Anyways, we’ve found this great interview with Polina by Azeri Volley Blog Site and here are some excerpts:
On her volleyball idols…
I really cannot say that there is a single player whom I follow, but I do like Natalya Mammadova a lot. She is really a great player and one can learn many things from her. She is also very helpful and supportive on the court. I can also name Taismary Aguero, Natasa Osmokrovic and Manon Flier. Also, Alice Blom surprised me a lot with her great game. I also follow Russian Tatiana Kosheleva. Her and I, we are of the same age and she has improved a lot and I like her style of play.
On why chose Azerbaijan over her country of birth Uzbekistan…
Had they offered it to me, I could have thought about it. But now, I wouldn’t have done it. My team is Azerbaijani national team and I am very happy with it. I learned playing high level volleyball and became who I am today in this country and I’m very grateful for that. Azerbaijan gave me everything that I have now.
On the level of the Azeri League…
The Azerbaijani Superleague is developing really fast, and I think, if everything goes well, it is going to be one of the most competitive leagues in Europe. We could not have imagined having so many top level players coming to Azerbaijan and joining our teams. Last season turned out to be very competitive and very interesting and the upcoming season promises to be all that and maybe even more.
On where she wants to play abroad…
I think I would rather go to Italy, and I would love to play for Bergamo – the best team in Europe. Italian league, in my opinion, is still the best, although they have lost many top class players. Italians they have the system in place that no one else has. Even without big starts, with young players only, they still will be among the best.
Click HERE to read the Full Interview!
Click HERE to read the Full Interview!
Click HERE to read the Full Interview!
(image: Nargiz Gasimli)
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