By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

The 5th Ethnosport Forum has opened in Baku to popularize and increase awareness of traditional sports and games.

The forum is being held under the motto "The Reviving Traditional Sports" by the World Ethnosport Confederation (WEC).

The two-day event brought together 140 representatives from 14 WEC member countries.

The forum determines strategies aimed at reviving traditional sports and games.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Azerbaijan Minister of Youth and Sports Farid Gayibov  expressed his gratitude to the chairman of the World Ethnosport Confederation Bilal Erdogan for holding the event in Baku.

The Minister praised Azerbaijan's rich experience in hosting large-scale events. Thanks to the state policy, the first European Games, Islamic Solidarity Games 2017, European Youth Summer Olympic Festival 2019, National Pasture Festival 2019 in Gadabay, world and European championships and other prestigious tournaments have been successfully held in the country.

He noted that the program of the Islamic Solidarity Games 2017 included zorkhana, a traditional sport that combines martial arts, calisthenics, strength training and music.

Since 2005, March 5 has been celebrated as the Day of Physical Culture and Sports in Azerbaijan.

This year, a series of events have been organized in the country's regions as part of sports week.

Chairman of the World Ethnosport Confederation Bilal Erdogan expressed his satisfaction with the holding of such a prestigious forum in Azerbaijan.

He stressed  the importance of promoting national sports among the younger generation.

"At today's forum we will discuss the past and future of traditional sports. It is a great success to bring together representatives of many countries and nations on this topic. Respect, solidarity and peace are of special importance for the unification of people. The World Ethosport Confederation hasbuilt its work on these values. I hope that this forum will play the role of a bridge between different cultures," said Bilal Erdogan.

He noted that the 6th Ethnosport Forum will be held in Turkey.

Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Maimunah Mohd Sharif  said that she attaches great importance to partnership between UN and the World Ethnosport Confederation.

UN habitat executive director Maimunah Mohd Sharif noted that she will continue to support this partnership.

"The United Nations Human Settlements Programme  supports the creation of inclusive, sustainable, secure, sustainable cities and community building. All peoples and nations have the right to revive national sports. All traditional national sports are the wealth of the world," she added.

Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States Baghdad Amreyev stressed the importance of increasing the popularity of ethno-sports in terms of developing ties between different peoples.

Amreyev said the forum and ethno sport will contribute to the fraternal relations between Turkic-speaking states.

The World Ethnosport Confederation (WEC) has been holding Ethnosport Forum in Istanbul  since 2016 with the participation of hundreds of visitors from different countries.

The event  provides an opportunity for different countries to demonstrate their cultural and sporting events.

With the support of the WEC, the National Pasture Festival was held in Gadabay in 2019 in order to preserve and promote the traditions of pastures and peoples in Azerbaijan.

The main purpose of the festival was to demonstrate the rich and centuries-old cultural heritage of the Azerbaijani people, the centuries-old culture of pastures and peoples, unique cultural samples and historical monuments, and to reveal the tourism potential of the area.