Baku 2015 is almost here!

/By AzerNews/

By Nigar Orujova

In a week Azerbaijan will kick start Baku 2015 Games, thus completing two years of feverish preparations in view of getting Azerbaijan ready to host the historical sports event.

The capital, Baku has already welcomed its first guests as athletes have begun to arrive.

Athletes from Germany, Ireland, Israel and Bulgaria have already arrived in Baku to begin their training ahead of the much anticipated European Games. Hungarian athletes are said to be on their way as well. All will be housed in the Athletes Village near the National Stadium.

Here, all necessary conditions were reached to make athletes feel at home. The Athletes Village includes 13 apartment blocks and an administrative building. Some 7,499 people can be accommodated in the 1,042 apartments here.

Irish boxer, Katie Taylor, the Olympic champion, five-time World champion and six-time European champion and international Athlete Ambassador for this summer’s inaugural event, said she is looking forward to the first European Games to be held in Baku.

In her interview to media, Taylor said that the first European Games will be a historical event.

"I look forward to the moment when I will represent my country [in the first European Games], and thus obtain an opportunity to make a mark on history," said Taylor.

Another athlete from Ireland, Karen Dolphin is excited about Baku 2015, hoping that the Games can help Karate to become an Olympic event.

"It is a major step for Karate because it has never had an Olympic backing before and it is seen as a big step forward to getting Karate into the Olympics," Dolphin told the Connacht Tribune newspaper.

"It should make a difference to us. We would be funded. We would have more sports science, more help."

Dolphin will be the only Irish karateka at the Baku 2015 European Games. She has previously appeared in five European and two World championships.

Venues are ready

Eighteen spectacular venues await the start of the European Games in Azerbaijan.

Located in four main clusters across the city, Baku 2015’s twelve permanent and six temporary sports venues stand ready for the inaugural European Games.

Among the many state-of-the-art facilities is the stunning new Olympic Stadium, which will feature the opening and closing ceremonies and athletics events; the complex is set to become the home of the Azerbaijani national football team after the Games.

Of the twelve venues to remain as part of the Games’ legacy, five are new: the National Gymnastics Arena, the BMX Velopark, the Baku Aquatics Center, Baku Shooting Center and the Olympic Stadium.

The six temporary venues now complete are the Water Polo Arena, the Beach Arena, the Basketball Arena, the Mountain Bike Velopark, Triathlon and Cycling venues.

Elsewhere, the Games facilities include 10 training and 32 non-competition venues, including the brand-new Athletes Village with 1,042 apartments.

The city is also ready to welcome its guests with a new transport system and additional hotel facilities.

Azerbaijan's leadership is closely looking over the process of preparation ahead of the Games.

The Baku 2015 European Games are expected to gather some of Europe's best athletes as 16 of its 20 sports will be Olympic; additionally 12 of the sports will offer qualification opportunities for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Athletes will certainly put their best foot forward as they will attempt to make their mark on this historical event. For those unable to attend in person, the Games will be transmitted live on TV.