The opening ceremony of the 3rd Mini-Football Tournament, dedicated to the memory of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, was held among employees of state institutions.
The event, held at the Baku Tennis Academy, was attended by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Farid Gayibov, President of the Azerbaijan Mini-Football Federation, Orkhan Mammadov, Executive Vice-President of AFFA, Sarkhan Hajiyev, and other heads of organizations, Idman.biz reports.
The National Anthem was played at the beginning of the event.
Following that, a minute of silence was observed to honor the memory of National Leader Heydar Aliyev and the martyrs.
In his speech, Orkhan Mammadov wished success to the teams. He mentioned that the tournament has gained significant attention: "This is already the third time we are organizing this competition. We are confident it will be held at a high level. Our National Leader always showed great care for sports. We believe that with each passing year, the number of teams and the level of competition will increase. We aim to make mini-football and football more popular. May the strongest team win."
Sarkhan Hajiyev recalled the crowded atmosphere of previous tournaments: "We are confident this time will be no different. We wish success to all teams."
Farid Gayibov thanked AFFA and the Azerbaijan Mini-Football Federation for their organizational efforts: "I thank all the organizations supporting the organization of this magnificent tournament. We are also grateful to the state institutions. Every year, interest in the competition increases. The stands are filled with fans during the final matches. I believe we will witness a tense and exciting competition this year."
The Minister then declared the tournament officially open.
For context, 40 teams from various state institutions will compete in 4 groups. The opening match of the tournament will be held in Group D between the Prosecutor General's Office and the Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ASCO).
Aytaj Sahed
Idman.biz
