President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva attend the opening of the 15th European Youth Summer Olympic Festival

21.07.2019

On July 21st, inauguration of “Baku 2019”- 15th European Youth Summer Olympic Festival took place at the Baku Crystal Hall. 

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, head of the National Olympic Committee Ilham Aliyev, First Lady of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva, as well as President of the European Olympic Committees Janez Kocijančič, heads of participant countries’ delegations, and other officials attended the ceremony.

President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva met with President of the European Olympic Committees Janez Kocijančič, deputy Prime Minister of Slovakia - where the following European Youth Summer Olympic Festival will be held - Richard Rasi, and the management of the European Olympic Committees.    

The European Youth Summer Olympic Festival is held under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee, being the source of pride for the European Olympic Committees (EOC), which enjoys over 25-year traditions. This festival is the first multidisciplinary European event for young sportsmen aged 14 to 18. There are also winter and summer festivals held in odd years, once in two years.

Mascots of “Baku 2019”- 15th European Youth Summer Olympic Festival, held under the slogan “Ready to Summits”, are a Lilliputian and Leopard. 3900 athletes from 48 countries have joined this reputable tournament on ten types of sports – sports gymnastics, athletics, basketball, cycling, handball, judo, swimming, tennis, volleyball, and arm wrestling competitions, to continue for seven days in 12 sports facilities of Baku. 52 percent of the participants are boys, with 48 percent being girls. Sportsmen are competing for 135 sets of medals. 930 medals were prepared, altogether, for winners. 300 of the medals are gold, 300 silver, with 330 being bronze.

Azerbaijan joined the festival with 122 sportsmen.

At 20.00 Baku time, the opening ceremony of the 15th European Youth Summer Olympic Festival started.