Mehriban Aliyeva participated in the “Baku-2020” project’s presentation ceremony in Moscow
The 18th General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees was held in Moscow, April 14. A ceremony of presentation by applicant-cities to host the 2020 Olympic Games, including Baku was held within the Assembly.
First Lady of Azerbaijan, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva participated in the ceremony.
First time in the history, over one thousand leaders of Olympic movement from all over the world, ministers of sport and representatives of sport society gathered together for the Assembly in the Russian capital. Objective of the event was to create conditions for the National Olympic committees to hold an exchange of information and experience. At General Assemblies of this organization held once every two years, roles of National Olympic committees, struggle against doping, significance of sport in marketing and other issues are discussed. The fact that Azerbaijan has filed an application to host the Olympic Games in 2020 talks of the increasing influence of our fast-growing country and its capability to hold esteemed international events at a highest level, along with implementing large-scale projects.
The 18th General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees was opened by Sheikh Ahmad Al-Sabah, acting President of the organization. Then the ceremony of presentation by applicant-cities to host the 2020 Olympic Games started. Each city was given 10 minutes. Members of the Istanbul and Tokyo pretension committees informed that large cities of Istanbul and Tokyo were ready to host the most esteemed sport events of the world, and provided information about the infrastructure, sports facilities intended for the Olympics and Olympic townships.
The ceremony of presentation of the Azerbaijani capital started with demonstration of a video about Baku.
Head of the communication department of the Baku Pretension Committee Nargiz Birk-Petersen talked of the originality of the Azerbaijani capital for Olympic Games. She told that Baku is a special place for Olympic Games. Having said “For centuries Baku has been a city where people have got together and cultures joined”, Nargiz Birk-Peterson underlined that Azerbaijan would worthily host the Olympic Games in 2020 and whereby a sustainable model would be created in future in terms of holding Olympic Games.
Talking about the speedy development of Azerbaijan, General Secretary of the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) Elkhan Mammadov noted that Baku was a very advantageous city for sport. It was mentioned that holding Olympic Games in 2020 in Baku would give considerable positive results, and Azerbaijan’s close cooperation with the International Olympic Committee would create conditions for realization of the “We can do it together” slogan. Having said “Objective of a country hosting the Olympic Games is not only to organize beautiful games, but also constantly contribute to the movement”, Elkhan Mammadov expressed a hope that Baku would open a new page in the history of the Olympic movement. AFFA General Secretary noted also that Azerbaijan’s location at the crossroad of Europe and Asia would open new markets for the International Olympic Committee and its partners, and said the Baku Olympics may be retained in memories with Olympic facilities to-be-built to serve local and neighbouring countries’ sportsmen after the completion of the Games.
Saying that he was proud of working with an Azerbaijani team comprised of talented young people to work out the Baku-2020 Olympic Games plan, adviser of the Baku Pretension Committee, Olympic Games veteran Bob Elfinston said he was pride of the works done to date, and said the video presented to participants would greatly influence them.
The delegation from Azerbaijan included Deputy Prime-minister Yagub Eyyubov, Minister of Youth and Sport Azad Rahimov, Vice-president of the National Olympic Committee Chingiz Huseynzade.
Then presentations of Doha, the capital of Qatar, and Madrid, the capital of Spain, were demonstrated at the General Assembly.
First presentation ceremony of the applicant-cities was held in February. After the selection process consisting of two phases, on September 7, 2013 the International Olympic Committee will announce, in the city of Buenos Aires, the city, in which the 2020 Olympic Games will be held.
It should be noted that among the applicant-cities Baku received public support the most.
Within the General Assembly held in Moscow, the World Olympic Forum, as well as meetings of the Association of National Olympic Committees Executive Committee, the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Committee and the General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees will also be held.
It should be noted that the Association of National Olympic Committees includes the Association of African National Olympic Committees, the Pan-American Sport Organization, the European Olympic and Oceania National Olympic committees.
