President Aliyev inspects construction process of Water Sports Palace
By Nigar Orujova
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva familiarized themselves with the progress of construction of Water Sports Palace in Baku on April 17.
The presidential couple was accompanied by daughters Leyla Aliyeva and Arzu Aliyeva.
President Aliyev signed a decree on the construction of the up-to-date standard Water Sports Palace in Baku on August 30, 2012. The design of the palace was worked out by the South Korean company Securo Co. Ltd.
Youth and Sport Minister Azad Rahimov informed the Head of State on the work carried out at the Palace. The Palace occupies a total area of six hectares. The facility will fully meet the requirements of the International Swimming Federation.
The Palace will have three swimming pools. The first pool of 50 meters in length, and 25 meters wide is designed for competitions. The second pool will be used for training. The length of the pool for diving will be 25 meters, and the width - 20 meters. In addition, the palace will have fitness rooms, a restaurant, a conference hall, offices, locker rooms, ancillary and utility rooms.
Ancillary buildings and installations and a parking lot for 500 cars will be built on the premises as well.
The Palace will seat 6,000 spectators. It will have all the conditions for the training of athletes and holding national and international competitions.
The president and his spouse were also informed on the construction works to be carried out in accordance with the draft of the European Games Park.
The Park created on an area of 18 hectares will consist of three sports facilities - for competitions in water polo, beach volleyball and football, basketball. A two-storied functional branch is planned to be constructed between these buildings.
Moreover, a special territory is assigned here to create functional areas of four parts. A meeting and conference rooms, cafe and functional rooms are planned to be built in the park.
More than 6,000 athletes from 49 countries would compete at the Baku Games, which will take place from June 12-28, 2015.
The program of Baku Games features a total of 19 sports including aquatics, archery, athletics, badminton, basketball 3x3, beach soccer, boxing, canoe sprint, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, judo, karate, shooting, table tennis, taekwondo, triathlon, volleyball, and wrestling.
Eight sports in the program of Baku 2015 Games are qualifying events for the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
The Olympic Stadium and Water Sports Palace are planned to be commissioned early next year, while most of the infrastructure for the Games in Baku would be ready by the end of 2014.