Fakhraddin Manafov: gymnastics is sports of youth

Gymnastics is a sport of youth, a well-known Azerbaijani actor Fakhraddin Manafov, who came to see the first performances of the FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup in Baku, told the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza.

"I really love this sports. I can say that gymnastics is a sport of youth. There are sports where athletes can perform after celebrating the 25th, 35th and even 40th birthdays, but gymnastics has its limits. When I come here and see these young guys, I remember my youth and I feel good," Fakhraddin Manafov admitted.

"I really like watching the high school of gymnastics. I just admire skills of gymnasts. And of course I dream that Azerbaijani athletes were part of those heights. I think it's the dream of all Azerbaijani gymnastics fans," the actor stressed.

According to him, he watched gymnastic performances in all the countries where he could. "I went to gymnastic competitions in Romania, Slovakia, Turkey, in several Russian cities," Fakhraddin Manafov said.

The actor stressed that Azerbaijan organizes high-level gymnastic competitions. "Organization of tournaments is better here than in other countries. It is enough to see how they organize transportation for athletes, their accommodation, training, and the competitions. They do at the highest level," he said.

The FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup will be held in Baku on April 28-30. Participation of 94 gymnasts from 21 countries is expected in the event, 37 of them will perform in the individual program, while 57 gymnasts will take part within the teams of group exercises. Athletes will compete for 8 medal sets.