A ceremony of rewarding the Azerbaijani sportsmen that won medals at the Olympic Games with monthly stipends and diplomas of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation

Athletes having won medals in Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney, Athens, Beijing Summer Olympic Games visited September 2 Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

Azerbaijani medal winners of Olympic Games have been granted the monthly scholarships and diplomas of Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva addressed the meeting.

Speech by Mehriban Aliyeva:

Dear athletes!

First, I greet you at Heydar Aliyev Foundation. I am very glad to see each of you here and cordially congratulate you on successful performance in Beijing Summer Olympics and winning medals.

These Olympics was very successful for our country. Our national team showed very nice results. Our anthem was played, flag lifted, athletes stood in the honor platform. I have no doubt that every Azerbaijani felt pride and joy in those moments. It is no secret that weak athlete does not partake in Olympic Games. Strongest sportsmen of the world participate in these competitions and of course, in this case competitions are held under very serious competitive circumstances. Winning in such circumstances requires very good physical training and skill. Big moral power is necessary too.

I am very glad that athletes of Azerbaijan have showed their physical and spiritual strength to the whole world and very decently represented our country. I again sincerely congratulate you on this occasion. I believe you will have a lot of victories yet.

You probably know well that over the past 10 years state renders huge care and attention to development of sport in our country. The head of state personally pays very big attention to this sphere and development of sport is almost one of priorities in the state policy of Azerbaijan.

We were watching a number of competitions in Beijing. Representatives of sport communities of different countries were communicating with us there and almost each of them was talking of concern to sport in Azerbaijan. They were also talking of development of sport in Azerbaijan, saying today Azerbaijan should be a model for a lot of countries in the world. Of course, it made us happy since it was emphasized by representatives of countries that leave Azerbaijan much behind in territory and population. 

This is why we have very high results today. Beginning from Sydney Olympics, our successes get higher in every Summer Olympic Games, number of our medals grows. I hope we will have bigger achievements in future.

It is more than a week that the Olympics is over. But probably we all are still under those feelings, remember those moments. I want to say twice, we are very glad that Azerbaijan has such athletes.

You have been awarded by both state and National Olympic Committee for your victories, for winning medals. Probably, some private companies, organizations, sponsors will award you too.

Being Heydar Aliyev Foundation we have decided to grant the title of scholar of Heydar Aliyev Foundation and monthly money award to every medal winner of Olympic Games. It concerns not only medal winners of Beijing Olympics. Athletes having participated and won medal in all Olympic Games after our country restored its independence are declared the scholars of Heydar Aliyev Foundation. I sincerely congratulate you on this occasion too.

Perhaps, you have enough idea of Heydar Aliyev Foundation. Our foundation has been acting since 2004 and its main objective is to protect and deliver to future generations the heritage of Heydar Aliyev, one of worthiest and greatest sons of the Azerbaijani nation. From the first day of our establishment we implement specific projects, perform specific works. Activity of the Foundation is multilateral – culture, education, science, environment protection, solution of social problems and so on.

You probably know that over 200 new schools have been built for past 2-3 years due to support of the Foundation and supplied with modern equipment. More than 30 children homes and boarding schools have fundamentally been repaired. A number of cultural and historical monuments are repaired and so on.

Surely, one of main courses of our activity is to support the talented youth. On this point, we have made such a decision that beginning from today you all are announced the scholars of Heydar Aliyev Foundation. I want to once more congratulate you, and I wish you lots of success in future.