Hafız Süleymanoğlu
Encyclopedia
Hafız Süleymanoğlu formerly known as Hafız Süleymanov, is a retired Turkish
weightlifting of Azeri origin competing in bantamweight
and featherweight
divisions. He held world and European champion titles.
. He earned European and world champion titles in juniors category. In 1989, Hafız Süleymanov became world and European champion in seniors category for the Soviet Union.
After his participation at the 1989 World Weightlifting Championships
, he defected from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic and immigrated to Turkey. He earned his first medal for Turkey in gold in the -56 kg snatch
division at the 1990 World Weightlifting Championships
held in Budapest
, Hungary
. Unfortunately, he broke his arm during the clean and jerk
session. He receied various medals in world and European championships, and became twice more European champion, at the 1991 European Weightlifting Championships in Władysławowo
, Poland
in the -56 kg division and at the 1997 European Weightlifting Championships
in Rijeka
, Croatia
in the -64 kg division.
Hafız Sülemanoğlu participated twice at the Olympics, 1992 Summer Olympics
in Barcelona
, Spain
and 1996 Summer Olympics
in Atlana, USA. However, he could not achieve any success. For this reason, he was nicknamed "Sıfırcı Hafız" (literally: "Hafız the Zeroer").
At the 1998 World Weightlifting Championships held in Lahti
, Finland
, he could reach the 9th rank only. As he repeated his unseccessful competitions at the 1999 European Weightlifting Championships
in A Coruña
, Spain
and at the 1999 World Weightlifting Championships
in Athens
, Greece
, Turkey Weightlifting Federation
decided to take him out of the national team. Hafız Süleymanoğlu declared thereupon that he will return to Azerbaijan.
:
European Championships
:
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
weightlifting of Azeri origin competing in bantamweight
Bantamweight
Bantamweight is usually a class in boxing for boxers who weigh above 115 pounds and up to 118 pounds . However, in Mixed Martial Arts it is 134-136 pounds . Wrestling also has similar weight classes including bantamweight...
and featherweight
Featherweight
Featherweight is a weight class division in the sport of boxing. There are similarly named divisions under several Mixed Martial Arts organizations and in Greco-Roman wrestling.-Professional boxing:...
divisions. He held world and European champion titles.
Career
He started weightlifting at the age of 15 in Azerbaycan. In 1985, he was admitted to the national team of the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. He earned European and world champion titles in juniors category. In 1989, Hafız Süleymanov became world and European champion in seniors category for the Soviet Union.
After his participation at the 1989 World Weightlifting Championships
1989 World Weightlifting Championships
The following is the final results of the 1989 World Weightlifting Championships. Men's competition were held in Athens, Greece and Women's competition were held in Manchester, United Kingdom.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:...
, he defected from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic and immigrated to Turkey. He earned his first medal for Turkey in gold in the -56 kg snatch
Snatch
Snatch may refer to:* Snatch , a 2000 British gangster movie by director Guy Ritchie* Snatch theft, grab-and-run theft from a motorcycle, in Malaysia* Snatch, an album by Howie B* Snatch , or Anagrams, word game...
division at the 1990 World Weightlifting Championships
1990 World Weightlifting Championships
The following is the final results of the 1990 World Weightlifting Championships. Men's competition were held in Budapest, Hungary and Women's competition were held in Sarajevo, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:...
held in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. Unfortunately, he broke his arm during the clean and jerk
Clean and jerk
The clean and jerk is one of the two Olympic weightlifting events .The clean portion of the lift refers to the lifter explosively pulling the weight from the floor to a racked position across deltoids and clavicles...
session. He receied various medals in world and European championships, and became twice more European champion, at the 1991 European Weightlifting Championships in Władysławowo
Władysławowo
Władysławowo is a town on the south coast of the Baltic Sea in the Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania region, northern Poland, with 15,015 inhabitants.-Overview:...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
in the -56 kg division and at the 1997 European Weightlifting Championships
1997 European Weightlifting Championships
The 1997 European Weightlifting Championships were held in Rijeka, Croatia for the men. The women competition were held in Sevilla, Spain. It was the 76th edition of the men event, and the 10th for the women.-Men:-Women:...
in Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
in the -64 kg division.
Hafız Sülemanoğlu participated twice at the Olympics, 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
in Atlana, USA. However, he could not achieve any success. For this reason, he was nicknamed "Sıfırcı Hafız" (literally: "Hafız the Zeroer").
At the 1998 World Weightlifting Championships held in Lahti
Lahti
Lahti is a city and municipality in Finland.Lahti is the capital of the Päijänne Tavastia region. It is situated on a bay at the southern end of lake Vesijärvi about north-east of the capital Helsinki...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, he could reach the 9th rank only. As he repeated his unseccessful competitions at the 1999 European Weightlifting Championships
1999 European Weightlifting Championships
The 78th European Weightlifting Championships were held in A Coruña, Spain from April 14 to April 18, 1999. There were a total number of 144 competing athletes from 29 nations.-Men:-Women:-References:* *...
in A Coruña
A Coruña
A Coruña or La Coruña is a city and municipality of Galicia, Spain. It is the second-largest city in the autonomous community and seventeenth overall in the country...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and at the 1999 World Weightlifting Championships
1999 World Weightlifting Championships – Men's 62 kg
The Men's Featherweight Weightlifting Event is the second men's weight class event at the weightlifting competition, limited to competitors with a maximum of 62 kilograms of body mass...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Turkey Weightlifting Federation
Turkey Weightlifting Federation
Turkey Weightlifting Federation is the governing body for weightlifting in Turkey. It aims to govern, encourage and develop the sport for all throughout the country.-History:THF has been established in 1956. First president of the THF is Haşim Ekener...
decided to take him out of the national team. Hafız Süleymanoğlu declared thereupon that he will return to Azerbaijan.
Achievements
World ChampionshipsWorld Weightlifting Championships
World Weightlifting Championships is an event organised by International Weightlifting Federation .It has been held since 1891. In March 1891, competing against champions from Brussels, Hamburg, England, Vienna, Italy, and Berlin in a three-day event, Edward Lawrence Levy of England won the first...
:
| Rank | Discipline | Snatch | Clean&Jerk | Total | Place | Date |
| -56 kg | 130.0 | Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... , GRE Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
Sep 16–23, 1989 | |||
| 157.5 | ||||||
| 287.5 | ||||||
| 132.5 | Budapest Budapest Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter... , HUN Hungary Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The... |
Nov 10–18, 1990 | ||||
| -59 kg | 135.0 | Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater... , AUS Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
Nov 11-21, 1993 | |||
| 295.0 | ||||||
| -59 kg | 135.0 | Istanbul Istanbul Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and... , TUR Turkey Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... |
Nov 17-27, 1994 | |||
| 162.5 | ||||||
| 297.5 | ||||||
| -64 kg | 145.0 | Chiang Mai Chiang Mai Chiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is... , THA Thailand Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the... |
Dec 6-14, 1997 | |||
| 315.0 |
European Championships
European Weightlifting Championships
European Weightlifting Championships is an annual event organised by the European Weightlifting Federation . It has been held since 1896. A separate event for women was held from 1988 to 1997, after which both championships have been held as one event....
:
| Rank | Discipline | Snatch | Clean&Jerk | Total | Place | Date |
| -56 kg | 130.0 | Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... , GRE Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
1989 | |||
| 157.5 | ||||||
| 287.5 | ||||||
| -56 kg | 125.0 | Władysławowo Władysławowo Władysławowo is a town on the south coast of the Baltic Sea in the Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania region, northern Poland, with 15,015 inhabitants.-Overview:... , POL Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
1991 | |||
| 147.5 | ||||||
| 272.5 | ||||||
| -59 kg | 130.0 | Sofia Sofia Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated... , BUL Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... |
1993 | |||
| 160.0 | ||||||
| 290.0 | ||||||
| -59 kg | 135.0 | Warsaw Warsaw Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most... , POL Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
1995 | |||
| 162.5 | ||||||
| 297.5 | ||||||
| -64 kg | 142.5 | Rijeka Rijeka Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants... , CRO Croatia Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ... |
1997 | |||
| 165.0 | ||||||
| 307.5 |