Today, the "diamond of world karate" Rafael Agayev celebrates his 41st birthday

Today, the "diamond of world karate," 5-time world champion, 11-time European champion, and Honored Master of Sports of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Rafael Agayev, celebrates his 41st birthday.

As BAKU.WS reminds, R. Agayev was born on March 4, 1985, in the city of Sumgait into the family of Mahir Agayev, a player for the "Polad" football club. Rafael was the youngest of three sons in the family.

He started practicing karate at the age of seven. Agayev's first coach was Rafael Mammadov, who taught his namesake the basic skills and techniques of this martial art, instilling in him a great love for karate.

R. Agayev began competing in his first national competitions. Soon, the promising young karateka was noticed and invited to train at one of Azerbaijan's well-known sports clubs, "Budokan," under the guidance of Fizuli Musayev.

Competing for the first time in the national karate championship, Rafael defeated all of his opponents. He was noticed by Yashar Bashirov, President of the Azerbaijan Karate Federation.

Agayev first participated in international competitions as part of the national team in 1997, at the Open World Cup in Miskolc (Hungary). In 1998, R. Agayev became the winner of the British Open Championship.

In 2004, Rafael Agayev, at the age of 19, won the senior European Championship in Moscow for the first time. In the final, he sensationally defeated the three-time world champion and nine-time European champion in his weight class, Alexandre Biamonti.

In 2007, Rafael won two gold medals at the European Championship in Bratislava, in his weight class (up to 70 kg) and in the open category. That same year, he graduated from the Azerbaijan State Academy of Physical Culture and Sport, Faculty of Combat Sports. R. Agayev's specialty is karate coach-instructor.

In January 2008, Agayev won the Open de Paris tournament, and in May in Tallinn, he became European champion in the open weight category, silver medalist in the under-70 kg weight class, and bronze medalist in the team tournament. In November of the same year, at the 19th World Championship in Tokyo, Agayev won two gold medals.

In the late 2000s, one of the Russian television channels produced a documentary about Rafael called "The Diamond of Karate." Since then, many journalists began using these words in the headlines of their articles about the Azerbaijani karateka. Even the President of the World Karate Federation, Antonio Espinós, called Rafael Agayev "the diamond of world karate."

In May 2013, at the 48th European Championship in Budapest, Agayev once again won the gold medal and became an eight-time continental champion.

In 2015, for outstanding achievements at the 1st European Games in Baku, as well as for significant contributions to the development of Azerbaijani sports, Rafael Agayev was awarded the "Shohrat" (Glory) Order by decree of the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.

In 2021, for outstanding achievements at the XXXII Olympic Games in Tokyo, as well as for significant contributions to the development of Azerbaijani sports, he was awarded the "For Service to the Fatherland" Order, 2nd class, by decree of the head of state.

Rafael Agayev is the most decorated karateka in the history of the sport, the first and only five-time world champion, and the only karateka to have won two gold medals at a single World Championship. Agayev holds a fifth dan and is also the captain of the Azerbaijan national karate team.

The renowned karateka received a position and rank in the State Customs Committee (SCC). Rafael Agayev was appointed Head of the Department for the Organization of Combat and Physical Training of the Main Customs Security Service. The experienced karateka was also awarded the rank of Major.