Baku, Azerbaijan, June 12
Trend:
Baku 2015 European Games are kicking off today.
Baku 2015 is the first-ever European Games, an exciting and innovative multi-sport event for the continent that will take place on June 12-28.
There will be a total of 20 sports at Baku 2015: 16 Olympic sports and four non-Olympic sports. More than 6,000 athletes from across Europe will be representing their nations over 17 days of competition.
Baku was awarded the games by the European Olympic Committees (EOC) in December 2012.
The opening ceremony for the Games will be held today, June 12, at the Baku Olympic Stadium.
The opening will be attended by heads of several states and government representatives.
The opening ceremony and the competitions as part of the Games will be broadcasted live in many countries.
The Baku 2015 torch was lit at the Ateshgah temple on April 26.
The torch lighting ceremony was attended by the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, the Azerbaijani First Lady, Chairperson of the Organizing Committee of Baku 2015 European Games Mehriban Aliyeva, and the President of the European Olympic Committees Patrick Hickey.
The torch was delivered to 60 cities and districts of Azerbaijan, and on June 7 it was brought to Baku, passing a distance of 5,500 kilometers.