Baku to host 4th Islamic Games in 2017

By Moni Mathews

Over 5,000 elite athletes for show in Azerbaijan capital

Preparations for the fourth Islamic Solidarity Games (ISG) in Baku from May 12-22, 2017, got off with a solid road trip start, when the event was formally announced at a media conference in Dubai at the Emirates Towers, on Tuesday.

The 57-member Islamic Solidarity Federation (ISSF) will hold the multinational, multi-sport extravaganza where over 5,000 athletes, some of them elite, are expected to participate in the Baku chapter.

Normally the passion sport of a region is included like badminton when the Games was held in Indonesia for the third edition. The 14 core disciplines - archery, swimming including diving, athletics, basketball, fencing, football, gymnastics, handball, judo, karate, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball and weightlifting will again be the centre of attention during the fortnight.

During the announcement, ISSF secretary general Faisal Al Nassar and officials of Dubai-based Events Lab and MMC Sportz - Saeed Abdulghaffar Hussain, Nasser Tabbah, Samir Tabbah and Eric M. Gottschalk - inked the ISSF global marketing agreement.

Al Nassar said: "We are proud to confirm the fourth Islamic Solidarity Games (ISG) in Baku, Azerbaijan next year and we are proud to have such a strong city like Baku which has so much of international experience as a sports host. The signing of the agreement with Events Lab and MMC Sportz as exclusive sports marketing partners shows that we are totally proactive and professional in reaching our goals."

"For us, the partnership with ISSF is very prestigious and the joint venture with MMC Sportz brings forward a wealth of expertise in various types of dealings," said Samir Tabbah, Group CEO, Desert Gate Tourism & Events Lab.

Gottschalk, MMC Sportz CEO said: "When we presented the commercial framework for the 2017 chapter, it was well received since it was budget sensitive."

The first event was held in 2005 in Saudi Arabia where the nations of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference took part. Non-Muslim citizens in the member countries are also allowed to take part in the Games.

The second event, originally scheduled to take place in October 2009 in Iran, and later re-scheduled for April 2010, was cancelled. The third edition took place in 2013 in Indonesia. 

Forty one nations from the member-list represented at the Games in Palembang three years ago. During the 8th General Assembly of the ISSF in Jeddah, the Baku-2017 Bid Book was presented. The venue was unanimously voted and passed for the fourth chapter to be held in Azerbaijan in 2017. 

moni@khaleejtimes.com

Source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/baku-to-host-4th-islamic-games-in-2017

Azerbaijan to host Islamic Solidarity Games in 2017

By Nigar Orujova

The eighth elective general assembly of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia has decided to hold the fourth Islamic Solidarity Games in Azerbaijan in 2017, the Azerbaijani National Olympic Committee said on July 24.

The ISSF member states voted for holding the Islamic Solidarity Games 2017 in Azerbaijan at the Assembly.

The Azerbaijani capital put forward its bid to host the tournament in February. The tournament is due from June 23 to July 2, 2017.

A presentation about Azerbaijan was made during the General Assembly by Vice President of NOC and ISSF Chingiz Huseynzade, head of the international relations department and executive director of the organizing committee of the Islamic Solidarity Games Baku-2017, Kenul Nurullayeva, and NOC expert on international programs and member of the working group of the Islamic Solidarity Games Mehman Kerimov, according to the NOC.

As part of the General Assembly the "Baku-2017" book was presented. The book includes sections on the concept of the Games, a review of the political and economic situation, legal aspects, customs and immigration aspects, information about the environment and meteorology, finance, marketing, communications, sports facilities and competitions, residential areas, transportation, security, medical services and doping control.

A special video on the Islamic games was demonstrated to the participants and relevant booklets were distributed.

New staff of the ISSF for 2013-2017 was also determined during the event. Thus, Chingiz Huseynzade was re-elected as a vice-president of the organization for the next four years.

Kenul Nurullayeva became a member of the executive committee. This landmark decision on the membership of a woman in the ISSF executive committee was made for the first time since 1968, on the basis of structural changes.

Azerbaijan became the only country represented in the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation by two representatives.

Moreover, it was decided to hold the General Assembly of the ISSF in Baku in 2015.

In May in Baku, ISSF Secretary General Faisal Bin Abdulaziz Al-Nassar said that the evaluation commission for the Games believes that Baku has all the suitable conditions for hosting the fourth Islamic Solidarity Games in 2017.

The Games, which will bring together athletes from 57 countries, will be held under the slogan "Solidarity is our power". More than 160 Azerbaijani sportsmen will participate in the Games. The Muslim religion of all athletes is not a pre-condition for participation in the competition.

The Islamic Solidarity Games is a multinational, multi-sport event involving the elite athletes of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the UN with 57 member states spread over four continents.

The first of the ISG tournaments was held in 2005 in Saudi Arabia with an Olympic-style tournament aimed at showing Muslim sports prowess and featuring 6,000 athletes.

Azerbaijan gained four gold, four silver and seven bronze medals at the first ISG, thus becoming the eighth country in the medal table.

The second event, originally scheduled to take place in October 2009 in Iran, and later re-scheduled for April 2010, was cancelled after a dispute emerged between Iran and the Arab countries. The third Games will be held in Indonesia this year.

Source: http://www.azernews.az/sports/57300.html

Four Azerbaijani boxers reach quarterfinal stage in Kazakhstan tournament

Kazakhstan is hosting an international tournament in women's boxing.

Four members of the national boxing team of Azerbaijan - Aziza Azizova, Yelena Vystropova, Leyla Javadova and Aynur Rzayeva-won the first fights and reached the quarterfinal stage.

Anakhanim Agayeva and Jeyran Dadashova who debuted in the international tournament lost to their opponents in the first fights, sources in the Boxing Federation of Azerbaijan. 

Source: http://www.news.az/articles/sports/73629

Azerbaijan's Madinat Abdullayeva gives it her all!

Fantastic shot of  Azerbaijan's Madinat Abdullayeva competing in the discus final on September 4th at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. Abdullayeva did not receive a medal but her effort and dedication to sport is an inspiration. 

Link: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2012/09/paralympics_2012.html

Aliya Garayeva seeks for gold medal after becoming Azerbaijan’s five-time champion

The Azerbaijani Championship on Rhythmic Gymnastics wrapped up in Baku last month. Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation reported that Aliya Garayeva, showing the best result in all-around and all the other four types of programs (hoop, ball, ribbon, clubs), became the country’s five-time champion in all-around, AzerTAj reported.
Source: http://ann.az/en/?p=53376