Azernews.Az

44 athletes will represent Azerbaijan at the 29th Beijing Summer Olympics, a considerable increase in licenses compared to the previous tournament held in Greece, Minister of Youth and Sports Azad Rahimov said.
We recall that 38 Azerbaijani athletes took part in the Athens Olympics in 2004. The country which ranked 37th among 202 states then won one gold and four silver medals.
The minister told a news conference last week that members of the Azerbaijani delegation will wear festive uniforms of mixed blue and grey colors at the Olympics opening ceremony due August 8. The Olympic champion on Greco-Roman wrestling, Farid Mansurov, will carry Azerbaijan's flag.
Rahimov said the Azerbaijani government intends to raise the award for the country's athletes to participate at the Olympics. Given that Azerbaijan's economic potential is rapidly growing, the sports ministry has offered to double the award. If the proposal is accepted, the winners of gold medals will get 200,000 manats ($240,000), while silver medalists - 100,000 manats ($120,000), and bronze medalists 50,000 manats ($60,000).
Rahimov pledged that Azerbaijani athletes will do their best to claim as many medals as possible at the upcoming contest. They stand the best chance in wrestling, boxing, shooting and horse racing, he said but added: "I never make predictions, so I can't say exactly how many medals we will win in Beijing."
The first plane to take most of the Azerbaijani team to the Chinese capital will leave on August 6. They will attend the Olympics ceremony two days later. Another plane taking tourists and the remaining athletes will take off on August 16.
A large delegation will represent Azerbaijan at the Beijing Summer Olympics for the first time. 150 Azerbaijani representatives will head to the tournament to be intensely watched around the world. President Ilham Aliyev is expected to attend the event. The Olympics will last till August 24.