In December 2012, the Olympic Committees of Europe awarded the organization of the first European Games to Azerbaijan. The event will take place for the first time in Baku in 2015. FrancsJeux takes stock with Konul Nurullayeva, Director of International Relations of the Azerbaijani NOC, on the preparation for this brand new competition.
FrancsJeux : Which countries will participate in the European Games?
Konul Nurullayeva: Our goal is to unite people of different cultures, races and nationalities under the banner of sport. We hope to involve as many countries as possible, even those that have faced or are facing conflicts. The objective is to give their athletes a chance to find themselves on the field. Numerous experiences show that sport is a factor of peace. It allows individuals to compete in a healthy way. The European Games must contribute to strengthening the culture of Peace in Europe and beyond.
FJ: What will be the sporting legacy of the European Games?
KN: The construction and renovation of sports venues is underway. This work will contribute to the legacy of the Games. Most of the infrastructure is now ready for the Games. Other existing sites will be renovated in the run-up to the event. The Crystall Hall, for example, known for hosting Eurovision, will be a competition site for several disciplines. The National Aquatics Center and the National Gymnastics Arena will be refurbished. In total, we plan to host 18 sports across 13 competition venues in the space of 2 crazy weeks of competition.
Regarding the financing of these works, I can say that most of the sites are financed and built by the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan. However, we have also received offers from foreign investors which we are considering with great attention. We are convinced that these foreign investments are likely to guarantee the performance of the Games, our main goal being to guarantee true quality of organization.
FJ: Have you already selected the disciplines which will take part in the European Games, in particular ruling on wrestling?
KN: The program for the European Games will soon be made public. Negotiations are being finalized with the international and European sports federations. Concerning wrestling, we signed a memorandum of understanding with Nenad Lalovic, President of FILA, which included wrestling in the first European Games in Azerbaijan. The agreement concerns the inclusion of men's and women's freestyle wrestling events as well as Greco-Roman wrestling. This competition will qualify for the Rio Olympic Games in 2016.
FJ: How will you coordinate the competition with the overall 2015 sports calendar?
KN: The 2015 sporting calendar is very dense. In particular, we had to take into account the swimming and athletics world championships, which will be held in 2015. For the moment, we are still in negotiations with FINA and the IAAF. We are convinced that cooperation is the best way to work on the organization of sports competitions and I have no doubt that these two championships will not harm the 2015 European Games and vice versa. We are open for cooperation at all levels to host sports competitions. The precise date of the European Games will be made public following the negotiation process with the various federations.
