EOC praises progress on Baku 2015 venue

/By AzerNews/

By Nigar Orujova

Two members of the European Olympic Committees have praised the progress being made on the Mingachevir Canoe Sprint venue during a recent visit.

Guido de Bondt, EOC Senior Games Consultant, and Dermot Henihan, Secretary General of NOC Ireland, were taken on a tour of the site and updated on renovation work on the existing venue.

“We are impressed with the progress being made on the facilities here at Mingachevir, which are sure to satisfy every aspect of the athletes’ needs and allow them to perform at their highest levels during the Games.

“Despite the tight timeframe which Baku 2015 was given to deliver the first European Games, we are confident that their detailed planning and hard work will ensure that this venue is completed on schedule and to the highest standard.”

Mingachevir, known as the City of Lights, is a riverside city located some 250 kilometers from Baku, and is home to the Azerbaijan Canoe Sprint and Rowing teams.

The existing facility is undergoing extensive upgrading to meet the elite-level standards required by the European Games.

Competitions at Mingachevir will take place over three days between June 14-16, and will feature more than 350 athletes across 12 Kayak events (men’s and women’s) and three Canoe events (men’s only).

The biggest sporting event in Azerbaijan's history Baku 2015 European Games will attract more than 6,000 athletes to represent their nations during the 17 days of competition. There will be a total of 20 sports at Baku 2015: 16 Olympic sports and three non-Olympic sports.

Baku 2015 venues are subdivided into four clusters and include brand new facilities such as Baku Olympic Stadium, National Gymnastics Arena, Baku Aquatics Center, renovated sport venues and temporary arenas.