"On the renewed website of the Ministry, I share with you my final point of view for 2023. Our new web page, which has been launched today in a new design and in accordance with modern requirements, will be more convenient for use and more prompt and accessible in the delivery of information."
Idman.biz reports that this was said by the Minister of Youth and Sports Farid Gayibov while evaluating the month of December and the year 2023.
He said in the "Minister's Point of View" that we are finishing another year full of successes and victories: "Azerbaijani athletes won a record number of 1472 medals in official international competitions during the year. 464 of them are gold, 398 silver and 610 bronze. "Year of Heydar Aliyev" will be remembered as a real triumphal year with proud moments for our country. Achievements in the fields of youth and sports were also sufficient. Undoubtedly, not only December, but the most joyful sports event of the year took place in Khankendi. After 30 years, holding the first football match in Khankendi in the territories freed from occupation is an honorable page for our sports history. It was a great honor for the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva to watch the game together with the children of martyrs in the stadium."
The Minister noted that, as usual, this year, by the Decree of the President of the country, which pleased our athletes, a group of athletes and sports specialists were awarded various state awards for their special services and high professionalism in the development of sports in Azerbaijan - "Honorary diploma of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan", Taraggi medal and some were awarded the honorary title of "Honored Physical Education and Sportsman" and a personal scholarship of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan: "Many athletes and specialists were also presented with new apartments. It is an honorable event that these awards were presented for the first time outside of Baku – in Khankendi. The fact that the head of state, who met with the awardees and congratulated them, despite his busy schedule, always devotes time to the sports community is a real motivation for each of us to work more responsibly from now on."
According to Gayibov, Azerbaijani athletes won another license for the Paris-2024 Summer Olympic Games at the end of the year: "This time, our taekwondo player Gashim Magomedov won a gold medal at the Grand Slam Tournament for Olympic weights held in Wuxi, China. During the year, Azerbaijani athletes won 9 licenses for the XXXVIII Summer Olympic Games to be held in Paris in 2024. Ruslan Lunev in shot put, Murad Allahverdiyev and Mahammad Abdullayev in boxing, Hanna Skydan in athletics, Zohra Aghamirova in rhythmic gymnastics, Magomedkhan Magomedov in freestyle wrestling, Hasrat Jafarov and Sanan Suleymanov in Greco-Roman wrestling, and Gashim Magomedov in taekwondo secured a license for Paris-2024. The Azerbaijan national team of women's football players successfully performed in the C division of the UEFA Nations League and advanced to the B division as the group leader. I congratulate our girls on this occasion and wish them continued successful performances. "Vugar Gashimov Memorial-2023" Super Tournament has already taken its place in the competition schedule of well-known chess players. It is gratifying that the tournament was organized in the region and not in the capital. This year's tournament, organized for the 9th time, was held in the city of Gabala. "I invite you to organize them in the regions. Of course, such competitions create conditions for the popularization of sports in the regions, and at the same time, the development of young people living in the regions - volunteers, gaining experience."
The Minister said that they organized the "Swimming for All" competition, held for the first time last year, this year as a tradition: "A total of 1350 participants swam in 14 different age categories in the competitions held simultaneously in 35 sports facilities across the country. Another innovation will be to continue this competition among athletes from Turkic-speaking countries. Athletes who have won in each age category will represent our country in the final stage, which will be held next year among the athletes of Turkic-speaking countries. By the way, representatives of Turkic-speaking countries also participated online in the opening ceremony of the tournament. I would like to thank the Swimming Federation for cooperation in the organization of this tournament, as well as the Azerbaijan Equestrian Federation for the organization of the President's Cup Tournament on national equestrian sport, and the Azerbaijan National Paralympic Committee for the organization of the VII Children's Paralympic Sports Games.
Gayibov also recalled his meeting with Dimitar Iliev, Minister of Youth and Sports of Bulgaria, who is on an official visit to our country: "After discussing the current level of relations between the two countries in the fields of youth and sports and the prospects of future cooperation, we signed a Memorandum of Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Bulgaria in the fields of youth and sports. During his stay in Baku, my Bulgarian colleague visited a number of sports centers and was a guest of sports institutions. "On the last day of the trip, Dimitar Iliev watched with us the match between Qarabag and Hacken held at the Republican Stadium named after Tofig Bahramov within the UEFA Europa League group stage. He witnessed another history written by Qarabag in the history of Azerbaijani football."
The minister said that according to tradition, he had a meeting with the Azerbaijani athletes and their coaches who successfully represented our country in the continental and world championships and prestigious international competitions during the past month: "The representatives of sports reported on the competitions they participated in and the victories they won. The coaches of the national teams spoke about the preparation process and successes of our athletes."
He also said that they laid the foundation of a new tradition in December: "At the Collegiate meeting of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, we discussed the issues of choosing the sports capitals for 2024-2025 and the youth capital for 2025 and held the first elections. Guba was chosen as the "Sports Capital" for 2024 and Gabala for 2025. I believe that our cities, which have won the status of sports capital, will show real sports activity throughout the year. Another city of Azerbaijan, Sumgayit, will receive the "Youth Capital" title from Lankaran in 2025. Our meeting with the heads of youth and sports departments, district youth and sports sectors, Youth Houses included in the structure of the ministry, Olympic Sports Complexes, other sports facilities and children and youth sports schools was quite effective. We discussed the activities of those organizations and gave our recommendations for further improvement.”
Farid Gayibov also emphasized that the results of 2023 were celebrated together with the sports community and media representatives: "Our sports community concluded last year 2023 at the "Results of the Year" gala night, which continued with the awarding of the best of the year selected as a result of 3 stages of voting. At the gala ceremony dedicated to the sports results of the year, with the participation of more than 500 athletes, coaches, specialists and heads of the federation, the winners of the year in 19 categories were announced and awarded. During the year, we achieved quite a lot of success both in the field of youth and sports. Of course, this was possible thanks to the instructions and constant support of the head of the country Mr. Ilham Aliyev. Our youth and sportsmen have achieved great success this year within the framework of the "Year of Heydar Aliyev" by adhering to the will of our National Leader Heydar Aliyev. Taking this opportunity, I congratulate each of you on the occasion of the upcoming New Year and the International Solidarity Day of Azerbaijanis."
Idman.biz
