Azerbaijan starts preparations for Islamic Solidarity Games

6 October 2015 15:00 (UTC+04:00)

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By Nigar Orujova

Azerbaijan, which will host the fourth Islamic Solidarity Games in 2017, has begun preparations to host this grand sporting event.

An order on providing telecommunication services to the upcoming Games was signed by Ali Abbasov, Minister for Communications and High Technologies, the Ministry reported on October 6.

In line with the order, structural units of the agency as well as fixed and mobile communications operators are instructed to ensure uninterrupted telecommunications services, Internet service and mobile communications in all areas of the Games.

To this end, a base of operations was established at the Ministry, headed by First Deputy Minister of Communications and High-tech Iltimas Mammadov.

Staff members of the headquarters are also heads of departments at the Ministry, mobile, fixed, satellite communications, e-Security Center and others.

A working group with other market participants will be created to prepare technical proposals to ensure the sustainable provision of telecommunications services during the Games and solve coordination issues arising from the order.

The headquarters will be instructed to implement the appropriate measures to ensure the provision of necessary telecommunications services, mobile services and TV broadcasting at the facilities, which will host the competitions of the Games, as well as in other areas associated with the event.

In addition, according to the order, issues will be addressed related to the allocation of the necessary frequency resources, to draw consultants and other industry experts for the preparation of technical proposals.

Baku hosted the major international sporting event the Baku 2015 European Games this June and attracted over 6,000 athletes from 50 countries to compete in 20 sports.

The country had prepared for the event in a record-breaking 2 years and now has the infrastructure to host future grand sport competitions.

The decision to hold the fourth Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku was made at the eighth elective general assembly of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in July 2013.

The Games, which will bring together athletes from 57 countries, will be held under the slogan “Solidarity is our power.” More than 160 Azerbaijani athletes will participate in the Games. The religion of the athletes is not a pre-condition for participation in the competition.

The Organizing Committee for IV Islamic Solidarity Games was established this September. Azerbaijan’s First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva is the Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the IV Islamic Solidarity Games.

Nigar Orujova is AzerNews’s staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @o_nigar