Azernews.Az

By Nigar Orujova

Azerbaijani capital Baku started the countdown to the inaugural European Games on October 20, celebrating 600 days left until the opening ceremony of the grand event.

Azerbaijan will host the first European Games in its capital from June 12, 2015. The Games will be a multi-sport event for elite athletes from the 49 Olympic nations of Europe and will be held every four years.

The Games are owned and regulated by the European Olympic Committees. The tournament is set to be a major event in the international sporting calendar; Baku 2015 is expecting around 5,600 competitors vying in a total of 18 sports.

The host city's preparations are on schedule, with construction and structural planning for many of the 21 stadia and facilities for the Baku 2015 Games well advanced.

Venues for Baku 2015 will include the iconic Crystal Hall, which hosted Eurovision 2012, the new Baku Aquatics Centre and a modern, multi-purpose 65,000-seat stadium.

The construction of the Athletes Village is also highly advanced. The village is already regarded by experienced Games planners and consultants as one of the best accommodation and preparation facilities ever provided for elite competition athletes.

Other Baku landmarks such as the Flame Towers and the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid will provide a spectacular backdrop to the sport.

According to Azerbaijani Youth and Sports Minister Azad Rahimov, the people of Baku and the entire Azerbaijan are looking forward to welcoming athletes, officials, media and spectators from across Europe.

"Our aim is to demonstrate the warmth and hospitality of Azerbaijan, the host city and its people and to show what we have to offer as a new destination for sport, business and tourism. Working with the European Olympic Committees and sporting federations, we will showcase sport in new formats and settings and put the European Games on the world stage, heralding a new major sporting and cultural event," he said.

At present events confirmed for Baku 2015 include such established Olympic sports as swimming, diving, cycling, boxing and gymnastics as well as new formats for sports such as 3x3 basketball and beach soccer, providing an exciting blueprint for future major sporting events.

President of the European Olympic Committees, International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Patrick Hickey said, "Great Games start with great venues. Baku's venues will be among the most spectacular ever assembled for a major international sporting event and will provide a thrilling atmosphere for athletes, spectators, broadcasters and viewers alike. With 600 days to go, Azerbaijan is well on schedule to deliver a high quality experience for Europe`s Olympic athletes and nations, and the continent's first major pan-European multi-sport event."

Baku, the largest city on the Caspian Sea with a population of over 2 million, was once an important staging post on the Silk Road, sitting at the crossroads between Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Today, Baku combines modern, award winning architecture with an Old City that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Azerbaijan is a multicultural society with a tradition of tolerance and warm hospitality.

The General Assembly of the European Olympic Committees, held in Rome in December 2012 with representatives of 49 National Olympic Committees, chose Baku as a host city for the Games by a secret ballot and a majority of votes. More details on the Baku Games 2015 are available at www.baku2015.com as well as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+.