Nurlana Mammadzadeh: Gymnastics competitions in Azerbaijan influence the popularization of this sport

Secretary General of the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation, Nurlana Mammadzadeh, evaluated the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup competitions that started in Baku.

In a statement to Idman.Biz, the Secretary General of the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation noted that the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup is an important stage in the fight to win a license for the 2028 Olympic Games.

According to her, approximately 100 gymnasts from 42 countries are participating in the Baku stage, which started today. In total, including delegation members, the number of participants is close to 300.

The competitions feature performances in both individual and group exercises. The tournament will last three days: the first two days are the qualifying stage, and the final competitions will be held on the third day.

Nurlana Mammadzadeh stated that gymnastics competitions held in Azerbaijan have a significant impact on the popularization of this sport:

"After the federation was re-established in 2002, and after its president became the country's First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva, major international competitions have been held regularly in the country. The National Gymnastics Arena was put into operation in 2014. Since 2016, World Cup stages in three Olympic sports have been organized in Azerbaijan: rhythmic gymnastics, artistic gymnastics, and trampoline gymnastics.

We started the year with trampoline gymnastics, artistic gymnastics was in March, and April is traditionally the month of rhythmic gymnastics. Thanks to the federation's strategy and the state's attention to sports, rhythmic gymnastics is becoming even more popular in the country. After each success, more children enroll in this sport."

She also added that the Rhythmic Gymnastics European Cup will be held in Baku from April 30 to May 3.

"The Rhythmic Gymnastics European Cup was organized for the first time in Baku in 2024. Its format is different from the World Cup; here, gymnasts will compete using a "cross duel" system. In the qualifying stage, each gymnast and group has an opponent, and based on the points scored, they advance to the next stage," said Nurlana Mammadzadeh.