Application of Baku for the Olympics in 2020 has been the brightest

Today in Moscow at the XVIII General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees the presentation of candidate cities for hosting the Summer Olympic Games in 2020 was held. The applications were demonstrated by representatives of five world capitals - Istanbul, Tokyo, Baku, Doha and Madrid.

According to the regulations, each presentation lasted about 10 minutes, during which representatives of the organizing committees spoke, and videos were shown depicting how the Games would be hosted, where the athletes will be accommodated and what infrastructure will be used for the competitions and the safety of their participants.

Presenting Baku’s application, Azerbaijan's First Lady Mrs. Aliyeva said the country wants to prove that the Olympic Games is not just a safe investment in sport, health and quality of life. "We want to prove that we can responsibly prepare such a big event. Imagine the Games in a new region of the world - they will open for you one of the oldest, but not yet well-known cultures. We will arrange a real celebration of sport. Worldwide, there are changes, social questions are acute, and we know how the values ​​we support can influence the future of the host cities," the First Lady of Azerbaijan Mrs. Aliyeva said.
"This is our home, and we would like to share it with everyone. People gather in Baku to share their cultures and the diversity of our past will create a positive future," Mrs. Aliyeva assured.

AFFA Secretary General Elkhan Mamedov adds that Azerbaijan "by leaps and bounds follows the path of progress." "Baku has an ideal climate for sports, beautiful sea, and the great history. We have one of the most powerful and fastest-growing economies. I am sure the future of Azerbaijan will change for athletes and for our people. We need to work together with the Olympic movement, we should have partnership. This is a unique opportunity to open a new chapter in the history of the Olympic movement. We are not alone applying, and we are not alone giving favorable predictions. We want to propose a model of the Games which will meet the requirement of serving local and regional athletes. Carrying the Olympic Games is a responsible investment in the future," he sais.

The participants of the presentation emphasized that the intention to hold the games is supported by government, the city, the National Olympic Committee, and 95% of the population of Azerbaijan. "Baku is ready to welcome you to the shores of the Caspian Sea to become the host for millions of athletes and visitors from around the world. We have a rich historical heritage: here East meets West. Interethnic tolerance has become the core of our unity. We have recently begun to participate in the Olympics as a separate, independent country, but we have long been taking part in competitions of varying size. We understand that we need political and financial investment to hold the Olympics and we are ready, because we really want to host the competition. In our country everything is aimed at improving the lives of our nine million people. We fully support the values ​​of the Olympic movement. If we are honored and trusted to hold the Games, we will hold them in a spirit of fair competition in the name of peace, humanity and friendship," the applicants assure.

The Minister of Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan, Azad Rahimov, commenting for VK on the presentation of the Baku-2020 bid, says that today Azerbaijan’s application is better prepared than it was for the Games in 2016. "We took into account all the mistakes that were made, particularly in relation to the basic sports' clusters. Today the line dominating from Baku Airport to the Primorsky Boulevard, where all the Olympic facilities are located, is fully compliant with the International Olympic Committee. It corresponds to the convenience of both supporters and athletes. This is, of course, our main advantage, as well as, definitely, the economy of Azerbaijan - the huge changes which are going on in the city.


In the 2-3 years since our previous application, the city’s face has changed. Therefore, regardless of the success of our application, the construction of an Olympic stadium for 80 thousand seats, of a swimming pool complex for 15 thousand places, of a gym complex, judo center and wrestling centre has commenced. 33 Olympic complexes are opened in the country’s regions. All this is a serious basis, the major foundation stone, which is already embedded in the material-technical base of sport and, of course, the Olympic movement. We think we can bring to the region the values ​​of the Olympic movement, and will be able to inflame the hearts of our young people," Azad Rahimov says.

As for predictions for the upcoming Olympic Games in London, Azad Rahimov gave the following statistics: "in Atlanta, Azerbaijan won one medal, in Sydney - three medals, in Athens – five, in Beijing - seven. Then judge for yourself. In London, we will win or 9 or 14! "

The executive Director of the Organizing Committee of "Baku-2020," Konul Nurullayeva, in an interview to VK noted that the Application Committee is well prepared for representing the candidacy of the Azerbaijani capital for the Games-2020 in comparison with the first bid for the Olympics in 2016. “We really believe in our application, because we have so many strengths. Azerbaijan is a Caucasus country, a large region that for the first time can hold the biggest event in world sport. This is positive not only and not so much for our country, but also for the entire region. We have a growing economy that has a huge impact on the development of the whole country," Kenul Nurullayeva underlines.

The fact that the application of Baku-2020 is strongly supported by the state is, in her opinion, a very big deal. Today in Moscow, the representation of Baku as a candidate for holding the 2020 Games has been personally supported by the First Lady of Azerbaijan, Mrs. Aliyeva. The International Olympic Committee is closely monitoring this and sees as important that the country's leadership is is actively involved in promoting the application, and the country’s population is supportive of holding the Games. “I would like to note that, according to the polls, 95% of Azerbaijani citizens want the Olympics 2020 to take place precisely in Baku. After all, the application is not for the bid-Committee of the IOC, but for the people who live in the country, who will come to sporting facilities in order to see the competition of the best athletes in the world. Comprehensive support from both the state and the population is a very big advantage and the strength of Baku’s application," Kenul Nurullayeva said.


The final decision on the short-list candidates will be announced on May 23 this year in Canada, in Quebec, and the announcement of the winner will take place at the IOC session in Buenos Aires on September 7th 2013. "We all look forward and try to make the most out of our power to promote Azerbaijan and Baku, our city, throughout the world," the executive director of the Organizing Committee of "Baku-2020" sums up.

According to a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Honorary President of the Russian Olympic Committee Vitaly Smirnov, the favorites for the Games-2020 are Madrid, Istanbul and Tokyo.

"The applications of Madrid, Istanbul and Tokyo look more convincing than those of Baku and Doha. Azerbaijan for a second time aspires to host the Olympics. Baku, of course, enlists the support of all the CIS countries and Russia, but, given the fact that the capital of Azerbaijan does not have a major sports infrastructure and has no extensive experience of conducting international forums, its ability to qualify for the Games is very vague," Smirnov opines in an interview for ITAR-TASS.

 However, in an interview for RIA Novosti, the Honorary President of the Russian Olympic Committee has admitted that he personally liked Baku's bid more than all the rest. "I really liked the application of Azerbaijan. Baku is a very rapidly growing city with excellent infrastructure, including sports. They have built a lot of sports facilities, opened a rowing canal and a water facility. I am a former president of the Olympic Committee of the Soviet Union, and I am glad that a part of my former country can claim to host the Olympics," he says.

In turn, Smirnov expresses concern about the climate problems the participants and guests of the Olympic Games-2020 might face if the competition is held in the Qatari capital. "Doha’s climate causes serious concerns, because now the Olympics are strictly fixed in time and cannot be held in the autumn, while summer in Doha is very hot. In addition, they have some problems with the audience, but if they set for themselves such problems, they know how to cope with them," RIA Novosti quotes Smirnov.

The General Director of the organizing committee of the football World Cup "Russia-2018," Alexei Sorokin, also admits that he "really liked the proposal of Baku to hold the Olympic Games in 2020 in terms of the organization of presentations and film," he says, according to ITAR-TASS.

"The application, in my opinion, could “inflame” the audience and the film was good, as was the performance of the first lady of the country. Clearly, they really want to win the right to host the Olympics-2020," he adds.

Istanbul has also presented in Moscow today its bid to host the Summer Olympic Games in 2020. The President of Turkey's Olympic Committee, Ugur Erdener, assured that "the organizers will work together with the whole Olympic movement so that the Games in Istanbul will be fantastic both for the NOC and for all federations." "We have planned a lot of changes that will make the competition more compact. For all commands the best conditions will be created, so that the athletes will be able to show the best results," he stresses.

It was stated that the Olympic village unites athletes who represent their countries, and therefore a single Olympic Village will be set in the heart of Istanbul overlooking the city and the sea; it will provide accommodation for everybody. Four zones of the competition are planned, and on average it will take 20 minutes to get from one place to another. "The legacy for our people would be more than 600 acres of green space. Now new sports facilities are being built. We have involved partners into the work, who have the support of the government. During such a large event traffic might be difficult, but given that the Games coincide with the period of the summer holidays, traffic will be minimal. In addition, we will double the capacity of our metro system and thus will be able to bring the Games’ participants and guests directly to the venue of competition," representatives of the application said.

It was noted that in Istanbul there are two first-class airports, which allows one to directly come to the Olympics from any country. "We promise that the Games will be spectacular. We intend to bring the competition to a new level. The Olympics will take place against the backdrop of the Bosphorus, in a city many thousands of years old. The Games will be held on two continents - Europe and Asia. Government support is combined with support from the population. We are ready to fulfil all obligations - today, tomorrow, every day we are ready to work with you, with the entire Olympic movement. More than 5 million people already say they would buy tickets for the Games. This is a new Turkey, a new application of a secular Muslim state, where all cultures are combined, where the principles of respect are followed. Everybody will be accepted with open arms. Moreover, Turkey has a clear commitment not to carry out any activities other than the Olympics in 2020. This decision is supported by our Prime Minister," Turkish sports functionaries conclude.