BAKU 2015 – 500 DAYS TO HISTORIC FIRST EUROPEAN GAMES

Baku, 28th January – With exactly 500 days to go until the Opening Ceremony of the inaugural European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan, organisers stated today on the Baku official website that preparations were on target to host a spectacular festival of sport that unifies people across Europe.
The European Games in Baku next year will be the fulfilment of a long-held aspiration by the European Olympic Committees to stage a major, pan-continental, multi-sport event for the Olympic nations and athletes of Europe.
Inaugural Games to Serve as Qualifier for Rio 2016 Olympic Games
Beginning this week, Baku 2015 organisers will begin sending sports qualification information to the 49 National Olympic Committees of Europe that will participate in the Baku 2015 Games.
There are currently 18 sports on the programme for the inaugural European Games, and more than 5,400 athletes are expected to participate.
Senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) member and president of the European Olympic Committees, Patrick Hickey, said Baku is well placed to deliver a top-level sporting competition at the Games next year.
“I wish Baku well as it enters the final 500 days of Games preparations, and I am confident that Baku will stage a high quality sporting event that will make Europe proud. We congratulate everyone involved in Baku 2015 for reaching this important milestone, and for the continued progress in preparing to stage a spectacular sporting event and experience for the athletes and nations of Europe.”
Azerbaijan Minister of Youth And Sports Azad Rahimov, who is Chief Executive of the Baku 2015 Operating Committee, said that each passing day brings the responsibility and honor of staging the first European Games in Baku into sharper focus, and emphasized that new infrastructure and ways of working for the Games will provide long term legacies that will transform the host city and country.
More information on www.baku2015.com