Azernews.Az

By Nigar Orujova

Baku 2015 European Games, the biggest sporting event in Azerbaijan’s history, has begun to promote its Canoe Sprint Volunteer Program in Mingachevir.

Executives from the Baku 2015 team said the program is aimed to encourage people to help next summer’s event.

The promotion took place at a ceremony at the Mingachevir Polytechnic Institute attended by officials from Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Baku 2015 Chief Operating Officer Simon Clegg said: “The Baku 2015 volunteers are vital to making the inaugural European Games come alive by helping athletes, officials and spectators feel welcome. The European Games will be of benefit to the whole of Azerbaijan, and so it is extremely important for us to have local volunteers to help promote Mingachevir as a world-class sporting destination.”

Mingachevir is famous for its water reservoirs and will host three days of competition, when 350 athletes will take to the water and compete for a gold medal. In total, there will be 12 Kayak events (men’s and women’s) and three Canoe events (men’s only).

Baku 2015 Director of Communications William Louis-Marie said: “The Canoe Sprint course at Mingachevir is a high-quality venue that has been refurbished to international standards that will be of lasting benefit to the region, as well as the entire country.

“We are very excited to be able to offer this unique opportunity to volunteer at the European Games here in Mingachevir and play an important part in this truly historic event,” he said.

Baku 2015 European Games Operations Committee (BEGOC) will recruit 12,000 volunteers to fill vital posts at next summer’s event. Baku will host the first European Games in June 2015, involving more than 6,000 athletes from the National Olympic Committees of Europe across 17 days of competition, in what will be the largest sporting event in Azerbaijan’s history.

Volunteers will have the opportunity to fill Games-time posts that include welcoming dignitaries and athletes, working at sporting events or providing assistance to members of the media.

Azerbaijan’s fastest-growing mobile operator, Nar Mobile is the official sponsor of the Baku 2015 European Games volunteer program. Nar Mobile will also create an innovative new mobile application that will allow the 12,000 volunteers to keep up to date all the latest European Games news.