First European Games
On December 8, 2012, the General Assembly of the European Olympic Committees awarded the right to host the inaugural European Games in 2015 to Baku, the capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Baku 2015 European Games took place for the first time in history from June 12 to June 28 in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.
To ensure the successful hosting of the First European Games in 2015 in Baku, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan issued a decree on January 17, 2013, establishing an Organizing Committee. Mehriban Aliyeva, the First Lady of Azerbaijan and a member of the Executive Committee of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan, was appointed the Chairperson of the Organizing Committee.
During the competitions, 10,000 athletes from 50 European countries competed. Events were held at 11 sports facilities in Baku and one in Mingachevir. The 2015 European Games featured a schedule that included 30 sports, of which 24 were Olympic and 6 were non-Olympic. Athletes contested a total of 253 sets of medals.
In the medal standings of the competitions, athletes from the Russian Federation took the top position. At the First European Games, they achieved 164 medals, including 79 gold, 40 silver, and 45 bronze. Following them in second place were the athletes from the host country, Azerbaijan. With a team of 289 athletes, Azerbaijan secured 56 medals overall, comprising 21 gold, 15 silver, and 20 bronze. Outpacing 48 of the 49 countries in Europe to become the continent's second-place finisher is truly an incredible achievement. Third place went to Great Britain, which secured 47 medals overall, including 18 gold, 10 silver, and 19 bronze.
The torch of the first European Games, which started on April 26 at the ancient Fire Temple of "Ateshgah," traveled throughout every corner of Azerbaijan, sharing the spirit of the Games with residents of 60 districts. After illuminating the path of the European Games and completing its journey through the regions and the legendary Oil Rocks, the torch was brought to the capital, Baku, on June 7. It was received by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, at the "Sadko" port in Baku's Seaside National Park.
The official symbols of the Baku 2015 European Games were the Gazelle and the Pomegranate.
15,000 volunteers were mobilized for the organization of the European Games.
The opening ceremony of the Baku 2015 European Games took place on June 12, 2015, at the Baku Olympic Stadium. The event was attended by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, the First Lady and Chair of the Baku 2015 Organizing Committee, Mehriban Aliyeva, and the President of the European Olympic Committees, Patrick Hickey. Among the distinguished guests who arrived in Baku for the opening ceremony were Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Montenegrin President Filip Vujanović, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mladen Ivanić, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Karim Massimov, Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, Saudi Arabian Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdul Aziz, President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach, President of the Association of National Olympic Committees Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, and Director-General of ISESCO Abdulaziz bin Othman Al-Tuwaijri, along with high-ranking official representatives from countries including San Marino, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Iran, Ukraine, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, and many others, as well as prominent public and political figures and distinguished representatives from the global sports community.
The flame of the European Games was brought to the Baku Olympic Stadium by two-time Paralympic champion and Karabakh veteran judoka, Ilham Zakiyev.
68,000 spectators gathered at the Baku Olympic Stadium, and hundreds of millions of television viewers worldwide witnessed an unforgettable historical moment.
The organization of the ceremony involved over 300 creative teams from 28 countries and 1,000 specialists from 34 countries.
The closing ceremony of the Baku 2015 First European Games took place on June 28, 2015, at the Baku Olympic Stadium. The event was attended by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, his wife, Mehriban Aliyeva, Chair of the Baku 2015 Organizing Committee, Patrick Hickey, President of the European Olympic Committees, Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev, and other officials.
Baku hosted the European Games, held for the first time in history, with great distinction, over 17 days. The excellent organization witnessed here, along with the sincere hospitality of our people and cultural values, touched the hearts of thousands of athletes, delegation members, and millions of viewers watching the Games on television.
With an event that captured attention with its originality and captivated the audience, Azerbaijan wrote the first vibrant chapter in the history of the European Games.
Recommended literature:
- Qurbani, Abdulla. Olimpiya məşəli/A. Qurbani ; red. V. Əliyev. - Bakı: Əbilov, Zeynalov və oğulları, 2003. – 339 s.
- Quliyev, Dilqəm Qasım oğlu. Azərbaycan idmançıları Olimpiya Oyunlarında: (1952-2008) /D. Quliyev ; red. İ. H. Əliyev ; hazırl. Azərb. Resp. Gənclər və İdman Nazirliyi. - Bakı: Təknur MMC, 2008. - 147 s.
- İsayev, Xəzər Ağaəli oğlu. Olimpiya tarixi. İdman siyasəti/X. İsayev ; red.: C. Abbasova, E. Səmədova ; tərc.: N. Kameristovna, N. İsmayılov ; rəssam N. Rzaquliyev. - Bakı: Azərbaycan, 2016. - 330 s.