Only one week remains until the start of the World Games in Chengdu, China.
Idman.biz reports that it will be one of the biggest multi-sport events of the year.
More than 4,000 athletes from over 100 countries will compete in 35 sports at the competition. The Games are held every two years, with the last one taking place in Birmingham, USA, in 2022.
Azerbaijan will be represented in these competitions in karate, kickboxing and gymnastics. In gymnastics, our athletes will compete in acrobatics, tumbling and aerobics.
Mikhail Malkin, who became the world champion, will represent our country in tumbling. Our team, which won three licenses in acrobatics, includes two-time world champions - mixed pair Agasif Rahimov and Raziyya Seyidli, men's duet Murad Rafiyev and Daniyel Abbasov. In addition, our men's group - Riyad Safarov, Rasul Seyidli, Abdullah Al-Mashaihi and Seymur Jafarov will also participate in the competition.
The mixed pair in aerobics - Vladimir Dolmatov and Madina Mustafayeva - won a silver medal at the world championship held in Italy and qualified for Chengdu.
Azerbaijan's representative in karate will be three-time world champion Irina Zaretska in the 68 kg weight category.
In kickboxing, the only license was won by Amin Guliyev, who won the European Championship in Athens, Greece.
Our team also includes athletes who have previously won medals at the World Games. At the 2022 Birmingham Games, Mustafayeva and Dolmatov won bronze medals in dance aerobics.
The motto of the tournament is "Sports without limits, countless miracles". The mascots of the Games will be the panda Shubao and the monkey Jinzai. The image of these two rare animals symbolizes that Chengdu is an ecologically clean, friendly and hospitable city.
The World Games, which will be held on August 7-17, include sports that are not included in the Olympic program, but have a wide fan base. There is no doubt that Chengdu will organize the competition at a high level - the city proved its capabilities in this field with the magnificent Summer Universiade held two years ago.
Zaki Feyzullayev
Idman.biz