European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships opens in Baku (UPDATE)
By Nazrin Gadimova
The opening ceremony of the 30th Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships was held in the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku. This is the third time that Baku is hosting the event.
Addressing the event, Azerbaijan's Youth and Sports Minister Azad Rahimov said gymnastics is a popular sport in Azerbaijan with a broad range of fans in the country as well as throughout the world.
He added that public interest in gymnastics increased significantly after the election of the First Lady of Azerbaijan, the Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and ISESCO, President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva as the President of Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation.
"I sincerely welcome you on the ancient Azerbaijani land on behalf of the Azerbaijani Youth and Sports Ministry," he said. "I wish athletes success in the competitions and hope that they could enjoy the pleasant moments in the capital of our country."
Some 258 gymnasts from 33 countries compete for nine sets of awards in the tournament.
The qualifying individual junior tournaments in A, B and C groups are held on the first day of the competitions
Azerbaijani gymnasts have recaptured leading position in the team group performances at the Championships.
In the first performance with ten clubs, Azerbaijani gymnasts scored 17.350 points.
Azerbaijani athletes gained 16.500 points for the second performance, and in total the team scored 33.850 points.
However, Azerbaijani team filled a protest with regard to the judges' assessment, and the team's overall score was raised to 34.050.
Currently, French team ranks second with 33.082 points, followed by Ukraine's squad, which scored 32.883 points.
Azerbaijani team included gymnasts Sabina Abbasova, Aliya Pashayeva, Aynura Mustafayeva, Aleksandra Platonova, Diana Doman and Siyana Vasileva.
They are struggling for awards with two performances - one with ten clubs, and the other with three balls and two ribbons.
The Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships in Baku will last till June 15.