Open Gymnastics Championship starts in Baku

/By AzerNews/

By Nigar Orujova

Baku will host the Open Joint Azerbaijan Championship in Gymnastics on March 4-6.

Some 133 gymnasts from 22 countries will compete for medals both in the all-around and individual events. The championship is a test event before the historic Baku 2015 European Games which scheduled for this June.

Famous gymnasts such as two-time World champion Russian Yana Kudravceva, Olympic silver medalist from Croatia Filip Ude, Europe champion Alexander Shatilov from Israel will attend the event.

The draw ceremony of gymnastics disciplines for the first European Games and a press conference were held before the event on March 3.

The draw determined the order in which gymnasts will compete in the competition disciplines at the first European Games. The event was the first sports competition draw to be held for the inaugural Games.

The press conference was attended by Farid Gayibov, Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation Secretary General, Sabri Gulmaliyev, AGF marketing director and Georges Guelzec, European Union of Gymnastics President, as well as other high officials of the UEG.

For the first time in the history one sporting event will present six different gymnastic disciplines four of which are Olympic.

Gymnasts will compete in rhythmic gymnastics, men and women artistic gymnastics, acrobatics, aerobics and trampoline.

"A history is written in Baku, the image of gymnastics will change here,” Guelzec said.

He stressed the importance of the test event to estimate readiness of the Organizing Committee of the Baku 2015 European Games Baku to conduct competitions in gymnastics within the Games.

Farid Gayibov said that holding the competitions in six gymnastics disciplines is a very difficult task. "I think we can handle this," he stressed.

“The upcoming first European Games in Baku will present gymnastics along with 19 other sports. So, we decided to invite neighboring countries to the Open Joint Azerbaijan Championship," the secretary general added.

The free event is open to the public, which is welcomed at the new National Gymnastics Arena, 6,800-capacity purpose-built venue.

Pierce O’Callaghan, Director of Sport at Baku 2015, for his turn, noted that the National Gymnastics Arena is completely ready for the European Games.

“Foreign visitors say that this is the best arena for gymnastics, which they have ever visited,” he noted.

O’Callaghan also noted that torch relay of the European Games will begin on April 25 and will cover 51 cities of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijani citizens can be proud of what the country has achieved, he added.

The biggest sporting event in Azerbaijan's history, Baku 2015 will attract more than 6,000 athletes to represent 50 countries in 20 sports.

Moreover, the new logo and renovated website of the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation were presented at the event.

Sabri Gulmaliyev said the new logo symbolizes a flower as it’s in harmony with gymnastics. The new logo uses the colors of the Caspian Sea and the ancient classical architecture of Baku.

The renovated website was designed to generate the public's attention and promote the sport, giving details about the national team and its main achievements.