World Powerboat Championship comes to Baku

Source: AzerNews

Azerbaijani capital Baku will host a breathtaking stage of the 2013 UIM Formula 2 World Powerboat Championships for the first time on July 6-7.

The championship will start in Stockholm on June 15-16 and continue with the thrilling and exciting show, which will be held under the "Fire on the Water" motto in Baku Bay. 23 teams from 13 countries will take part in the competition and organizational work will involve 350 volunteers.

Taking place on the shores of the Caspian Sea, the 1,810 meter course will certainly be challenging and organizers predict that the seaside boulevard will be packed with spectators, all eager to watch the inaugural Azerbaijan powerboat race.

Azerbaijani Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Ismayil Ismayilov said that the upcoming race will be very spectacular and will obviously bring enjoyment to the audience.

Speaking at a press conference in Baku last week, Ismayilov expressed hope that this sport will see extensive development in Azerbaijan.

He said that the holding of such events as Formula 2 World Powerboat Championships will increase the tourist inflow to Azerbaijan.

UIM International Rowing Association Secretary General Andrea Dini thanked the Youth and Sports Ministry and the Azerbaijan Powerboat Federation for undertaking the initiative to conduct the world championship.

"I am grateful to all those involved in holding this event. In the past few days we have been working hard," Dini said.

Dini welcomed the fact that the race will take place in the country which will organize such a grand tournament as the European Olympic Games in 2015.

"Our competitions are held in several categories. Besides Azerbaijan, such competitions will be held in different European countries, including the UK and Sweden," Dini said.

The main purpose of the World Grand Prix race is popularization of this sport in Azerbaijan, as well as the development of tourism infrastructure. Baku with its Caspian Sea shore and mild climate has all the conditions available for the development of this sport, even more than just boat races, he said.

President of the Azerbaijan Powerboat Federation Ibrahim Ibrahimov spoke about the history of the development of this sport in the country.

"Our Federation was established in 2008 and we began to participate in international tournaments in 2009, and the same year we won the race in St. Petersburg. Moreover, in 2011, our athlete won the tournament in China. This is a great achievement for our young federation. However, we are not going to stop and plan to create a center to prepare athletes for motorboat racing in Baku. We aspire to bring up local riders and our main efforts will be focused on that. Currently our team mostly consists of foreign athletes, but this situation will change soon," Ibrahimov said.

"We have such a resource as the Caspian Sea where we can hold competitions of the highest class. We hope that during our competitions there will be no strong winds. Besides, Baku Bay is located in a unique place, there is almost no wind there. So, I am sure that no problems will emerge in this regard," he said.