Idman.biz
Minister of Youth and Sports Farid Gayibov shared his views on the tournament after the completion of the "Baku-Khankendi" Azerbaijan cycling race.
Idman.Biz reports that the minister said in a statement to journalists that holding such a tournament in his native Karabakh is of particular importance.
"The return of the great cycling race to Azerbaijan is a very joyful event for us. In particular, holding this race in our native Karabakh creates special pride and special feelings. Baku has been chosen as the sports capital of the world, and therefore numerous large-scale competitions are organized in our capital. Ahead are the world championships in judo and sumo, the games of the European Volleyball Championship, as well as the World Cups. International cycling races have been held in Azerbaijan before, but the return of such a big race to our country is of particular importance to us," said Farid Gayibov.
The minister emphasized that local and young athletes also participated in the competition. He said that he believes that Azerbaijani cyclists will show better results in the next stages.
Farid Gayibov noted that the Azerbaijan Cycling Federation has done a great job in terms of organization:
"Our local and young athletes also participated in the competition. I believe that in the next stages they will also have their say. I thank the Azerbaijan Cycling Federation. Organizing such competitions is not easy. The weather conditions must also be taken into account."
The minister reminded that the route covers more than 20 regions and the race is held over a long distance. He said that serious organizational work lies behind this large-scale tournament.
"The head of state has special instructions for the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Olympic Committee. International tournaments are held in various regions and in the liberated territories. I congratulate both sports fans and residents of Khankendi," Gayibov added.
It should be noted that 24 teams representing 20 countries of the world competed in the UCI 2.1 category race. The prize fund of the tournament was more than 50 thousand euros (more than 100 thousand AZN).
Araz Khalilli
