Less than a year is left before the opening of the first European Games in Baku. Preparations for the high-scale sports event are proceeding at full tilt. Participants of the Azerbaijani Festival in Cannes were saying that the Games had become a reality, so convincing was the presentation of Mehriban Aliyeva, the first lady of Azerbaijan and head of the European Games Organizing Committee. In particular, she said: “Dear friends, our meeting today is dedicated to a very bright event in the history of Azerbaijan, the upcoming first European Games in 2015. As you know, according to the decision of the European Olympic Committee, the first European Games will be held in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku, and the decision was received by the Azerbaijani people with great satisfaction, big support. This is the historic decision for which I deeply thank all the members and the president of the European Olympic Committee."
Although the Olympic Movement started and was reborn in Europe, there had been no European Games before. Hosting, preparing and holding such Games – a competition that will go down in history as the first European Games – is a great honour and at the same time a great responsibility for us, Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan is notable all over the world as a sports state today. Support for sport and the Olympic Movement are some of the main lines of state policy. After restoring our independence, we have been taking part in Olympic Games since 1996 and our athletes have achieved great success in little time. The number of medals won grows from Games to Games. At the last summer Olympic Games, Azerbaijani athletes won 10 medals and came 15th among European countries, 30th among all other participants.
The first lady of Azerbaijan emphasized that the country was one of the world's tolerance and multiculturalism centers because other peoples and religions can live and work in a land of friendship and peace. Mehriban Aliyev invited residents of Cannes to Azerbaijan to see its culture and history. The first lady noted that presentations of the Baku Games will be organized in other cities of Europe, symbolically starting in France, the center of all-human culture. Moreover, it has achieved great sporting success. What is especially important is that France is a friend of Azerbaijan.
President of the French Olympic and Sports Committee Denis Masseglia made a speech at the presentation of the first European Games. He called them a big event for Azerbaijan in 2015. He had an opportunity to check preparations for the Games. The head of the Committee expressed confidence that the European Games will be well-organized.
In Cannes, a race was organized on the Boulevard de la Croisette, dedicated to the Baku-2015 European Games. Maksons Valdelin won, followed by Azerbaijani runner Abuzarli, who studies in France. They received honorary certificates and tickets for the first European Games in Baku. Thus, the start of the first sports competition for the upcoming Games was made.
Azerbaijani international sports and music events of the last years prove that the country has good organizing potential. But the first European Games, some experts believe, should be even better prepared because Baku is making history: the next organizers of the Games will start from the benchmark of the Baku Games. Sports experts add that participation in the 2015 European Games will be a nice test for the skills of leading athletes of many countries before the 2016 Summer Olympic Games hosted by Brazil. It turns out that athletes, fans, politicians and cultural figures and everyone willing to learn about history and modern life of Azerbaijan will benefit from the Baku-2015 Games.
Mehriban Aliyeva: “Supporting sport is one of the main lines of state policy”Less than a year is left before the opening of the first European Games in Baku. Preparations for the high-scale sports event are proceeding at full tilt. Participants of the Azerbaijani Festival in Cannes were saying that the Games had become a reality, so convincing was the presentation of Mehriban Aliyeva, the first lady of Azerbaijan and head of the European Games Organizing Committee. In particular, she said: “Dear friends, our meeting today is dedicated to a very bright event in the history of Azerbaijan, the upcoming first European Games in 2015. As you know, according to the decision of the European Olympic Committee, the first European Games will be held in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku, and the decision was received by the Azerbaijani people with great satisfaction, big support. This is the historic decision for which I deeply thank all the members and the president of the European Olympic Committee."Although the Olympic Movement started and was reborn in Europe, there had been no European Games before. Hosting, preparing and holding such Games – a competition that will go down in history as the first European Games – is a great honour and at the same time a great responsibility for us, Azerbaijan.Azerbaijan is notable all over the world as a sports state today. Support for sport and the Olympic Movement are some of the main lines of state policy. After restoring our independence, we have been taking part in Olympic Games since 1996 and our athletes have achieved great success in little time. The number of medals won grows from Games to Games. At the last summer Olympic Games, Azerbaijani athletes won 10 medals and came 15th among European countries, 30th among all other participants.The first lady of Azerbaijan emphasized that the country was one of the world's tolerance and multiculturalism centers because other peoples and religions can live and work in a land of friendship and peace. Mehriban Aliyev invited residents of Cannes to Azerbaijan to see its culture and history. The first lady noted that presentations of the Baku Games will be organized in other cities of Europe, symbolically starting in France, the center of all-human culture. Moreover, it has achieved great sporting success. What is especially important is that France is a friend of Azerbaijan.President of the French Olympic and Sports Committee Denis Masseglia made a speech at the presentation of the first European Games. He called them a big event for Azerbaijan in 2015. He had an opportunity to check preparations for the Games. The head of the Committee expressed confidence that the European Games will be well-organized.In Cannes, a race was organized on the Boulevard de la Croisette, dedicated to the Baku-2015 European Games. Maksons Valdelin won, followed by Azerbaijani runner Abuzarli, who studies in France. They received honorary certificates and tickets for the first European Games in Baku. Thus, the start of the first sports competition for the upcoming Games was made.Azerbaijani international sports and music events of the last years prove that the country has good organizing potential. But the first European Games, some experts believe, should be even better prepared because Baku is making history: the next organizers of the Games will start from the benchmark of the Baku Games. Sports experts add that participation in the 2015 European Games will be a nice test for the skills of leading athletes of many countries before the 2016 Summer Olympic Games hosted by Brazil. It turns out that athletes, fans, politicians and cultural figures and everyone willing to learn about history and modern life of Azerbaijan will benefit from the Baku-2015 Game
