Today, Baku held the final press conference of the participants of the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF) dedicated to the preparation for the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games, which will be held in the Azerbaijani capital on May 12-22.
Saudi Prince, ISSF President and President of Saudi Arabia`s National Olympic Committee, Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdulaziz al Saud, opening the press conference, stressed that Azerbaijan "is known all over the world for organizing sports competitions at the highest level" . "Therefore, we have no doubt that the Islamic games will be held at a high level," the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza cited him as saying.
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Azad Rahimov, in turn, said that the opening ceremony of the Journey from the Caspian was held yesterday.
The Minister noted that tomorrow the last meeting of the Coordination Council of the Executive Committee will be held. "All issues on the Islamic Solidarity Games are solved promptly, we can say that everything is ready. More than 100 media outlets were accredited to the Games, we extended the deadline for media companies for another two weeks," he said.
Azad Rahimov also said that the 5th Islamic Solidarity Games will be held in Turkey. "We are very happy about this," he said.
"We believe that the Games in Baku will be held at a high level. Today there was a long discussion about how to make the competitions within the framework of the Islamic Solidarity Games one of the most interesting. And for our part we will do our best to make the next Games, which will be held in Istanbul, one of the most memorable," the Turkish Sports Minister Akif Cagatay Kilic said.
According to him, Turkey is ready to host the 5th Islamic Solidarity Games, since Istanbul has the necessary infrastructure. "We will do everything to make the 2021 Games one of the best in the world," the Turkish Sports Minister added.
Over the course of its journey, which will exceed 3,000 km in 37 days, the Journey from the Caspian will visit 15 cities and 12 water locations across Azerbaijan. At each location, water will be collected. During the launch ceremony, 16 children from across Azerbaijan were presented with a copper Baku 2017 Water Vessel, containing water from the Caspian Sea, which they will take back to their home towns and cities.
Children will bring the crystal waters of Azerbaijan to Baku to welcome more than 50 nations to the Games, and to symbolically unite the Islamic world at the Opening Ceremony of the Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games on May 12.
