Azerbaijan to file bid to host 2024 Olympic Games

Azerbaijani Minister for Youth and Sports Azad Ragimov said that Azerbaijan had been represented by 44 athletes in 11 disciplines at the Beijing Olympic Games and 53 athletes in 16 disciplines at the London Olympic Games. It won two gold, two silver and six bronze medals at the London Games. He noted that failure to win the bids for the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games had inspired the country to bid for the 2024 Games.

Ragimov noted that Azerbaijan had some of the best specialists in sports.

Chingis Guseynzadeh, vice president of the Azerbaijani National Olympic Committee, noted that Azerbaijan will host European youth track and field athletics and the European Gymnastic Championship in late May – early July. He reminded that Rio de Janeiro will host the 2016 Games and Beijing the 2020 Olympics.

Baku will host the first European Games in 2015. Guseynzadeh called it an opportunity to demonstrate readiness to host such sports events.

Budapest (Hungary), Berlin (Germany), Rome (Italy), Doha (Qatar), Nairobi (Kenya), Casablanca (Morocco), Guadalajara (Mexico), Philadelphia (U.S.), Washington (U.S.), Chicago (U.S.), Boston (U.S.), Taipei (Taiwan), Istanbul (Turkey), Saint-Petersburg (Russia), Kiev (Ukraine), Paris (France), Durban (South Africa) are bidding to host the 2024 Olympic Games.