Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 27
By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:
Great success was achieved in the field of sports under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev in 2018, Minister of Youth and Sports Azad Rahimov said at an event dedicated to the country's sports results of 2018, Trend reports.
Rahimov noted that the attention and care shown by the head of state for sport creates the basis for victories at international competitions.
The minister stressed that in 2018, the Azerbaijani athletes won a total of 753 medals - 263 gold, 230 silver and 260 bronze medals in the world and European championships, cup competitions and international tournaments.
Rahimov added that Azerbaijani athletes received 17 licenses for participation in the III Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, where they won seven medals - three gold, one silver and three bronze ones.
He added that thanks to President Ilham Aliyev’s policy in the field of sports, Azerbaijan is recognized [worldwide] as a sports country. The minister noted that the progress has been made in the development of the material and technical base of sports as well.
“There are 44 Olympic sports complexes operating in the cities and districts of Azerbaijan,” he said. “The Olympic Sports Complex in Lankaran city was commissioned this year, and the construction of Neftchala, Terter and Goranboy Olympic sports complexes continues. The Beylagan Olympic Sports Complex is ready for opening, and the designing of the Yevlakh Sports Complex has finished. A new chess school has been built in the Gunashli settlement, a gym has been built and commissioned in the Buzovna settlement, the construction of eight gyms continues.”
Azad Rahimov stressed that Azerbaijani athletes will face serious challenges next year.
“They will take part in license competitions at the Summer Olympics, which will be held in Tokyo in 2020, as well as in a number of other international competitions,” he said. “I hope that they will decently cope with all these tasks.”