Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 8
Trend:
Azerbaijan has already proved that it is a great sports nation in the Olympic Games, European and Islamic Solidarity Games, said President Ilham Aliyev as he received a delegation of winners of the European Team Chess Championship.
President Aliyev stressed that Azerbaijan has achieved next big success.
"This time, the victory achieved in chess, intellectual sports is of particular importance," he said. "The Azerbaijani team took the first place in the European championship and became a champion. I cordially congratulate chess players, coaches and the federation on this grand victory. This is a victory that glorifies the entire Azerbaijani people. I'm glad that this is not the first victory, it's the third victory. That is, three times the Azerbaijani chess players took the first place in Europe. This shows that this victory is not a casual win, it is a natural victory. This victory is a victory based on the talent and intellect of the Azerbaijani people."
President Aliyev continued that in the tough fight Azerbaijani chess players once again demonstrated the intellectual potential of the Azerbaijani people to Europe and at the same time to the world. "I invited you to congratulate on this victory. I know that you have returned to Baku this night with great victories, trophies, and you are gladdening all the people of Azerbaijan," he said.
President Aliyev stressed that the Azerbaijani team once again delighted the nation.
"The players of our team, all of them are young, younger generation, chess players grown up during the independence. This victory directly reflects the successful development of our independence as well as the intellectual level of our country. Azerbaijan has already proved that it is a great sports nation in the Olympic Games, European and Islamic Solidarity Games. We were the second in the European Games held in Baku and the first in the Islamic Solidarity Games. By the number of medals in the Summer Olympic Games we are in the 14th place in the world. This is a historic achievement, a historic victory. This victory - the victory in the chess field shows that our people have very strong intellectual potential at the same time. This, of course, is one of the factors that distinguish our country and our people. We also have success in combat sports, as well as in team sports. The victory in intellectual sport - this victory in chess really makes us all happy.
"I also watched the foreign press. I know that this victory was very broadly covered in the foreign press. Being the first in the field of chess in the European continent, and being the first for the third time, is a great historic victory indeed," he noted.