Paralympic gold medal-winning judoka Shahana Hajiyeva handed life ban for faking blindness, claims report

Nearly three years after making her country proud with a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, Azerbaijani judoka Shahana Hajiyeva has been handed a ban for failing a medical classification test which suggested that she was faking blindness to compete in the categories where she found so much success.

Hajiyeva had stood on top of the podium while competing in the 48kg event in the Tokyo 2020 Games and was also a gold medallist at the European Para Championships in 2023 while competing in the 48kg J2 category.

And after missing the Paralympic Games in Paris last year, Hajiyeva was scheduled to compete at the World Para Judo Championships that took place in Astana Kazakhstan earlier this month. The 24-year-old, however, was found to have failed a medical classification test for partially sighted judokas that took place before the event, according to a report on Prosport.az.

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Hajiyeva’s national federation claims change of rules to blame for her failed test

Hajiyeva thus was handed a lifetime ban from competing in her original categories. Azerbaijan’s National Paralympic Committee, however, cited a change in regulations for her failed test.

“At the Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Parajudo competitions were held in categories B1, B2 and B3. However, in the run-up to the Paralympic Games in Paris and at the Games themselves, the number of categories was reduced, and competitions were organised in two new categories - J1 and J2," the National Paralympic Committee of Azerbaijan said in a statement.

“As a result of the changes, many eye diseases previously included in the J2 category were excluded from the list.

“Despite the fact that Gadzhieva represented our country in the J2 category until 2024, due to the changes it became clear that she will no longer be able to compete in parajudo,” it added.

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Hajiyeva, however, wasn’t the only athlete who had failed the medical classification test – compatriot Elnara Nizamli was moved from the J1 to J2 category after she was found to have partial vision.