FOOTBALL ON HORSEBACKS

Baku has become a pioneer in holding yet another sporting event. The capital of Azerbaijan played host to the first European Polo Championships. Furthermore, the result of the tournament gives us an extra reason to be proud, as the national team of Azerbaijan won the title of the first European polo champions.

The national team consisting of Elcin Camalli, Tarlan Qurbanaliev, Rasad Hasanov and Silvestre Garros won all six matches of the tournament. In the final, the Azerbaijani team defeated the German squad with the score of 6:5. In the play-off for the third and fourth places, Ireland beat Spain.

The national teams of Italy and Switzerland also took part in the first championships.

Silvestre Garros, the playing coach of the Azeri team, became the highest-scoring player of the tournament.

This achievement of the national team did not pass unnoticed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Speaking at a meeting with the members of the national team, Aliyev noted that polo is very close to the Azerbaijani people.

"This sport is very similar to our national game of covqan. Of course, our athletes have a great experience. But the European Championships is a very prestigious sporting event. As I know, very strong teams were invited to contest the title, and the competition was very intense. You have pleased our people, the fans. I want to reiterate that Azerbaijan has shown its athletic strength," the President said.

"The development of the equestrian sport is given a lot of attention. Of late, this sport began to arouse great interest both in Baku and in the regions. I am glad that national covqan championships are held regularly, and the number of teams participating in them is growing. That is, covqan has become a sport which attracts large audiences," Aliyev said.

The Azerbaijani President recalled that the Islamic Solidarity Games will be held in Baku in two years. "Azerbaijan will once again go down in history as the first country in which both European and Islamic games were held. Again, I am convinced that they will become another sports festival. Preparations are currently under way, and I am convinced that the Islamic Solidarity Games will be held at the level of the European Games, i.e., the Summer Olympic Games, since we set ourselves such a goal and managed to achieve it. Next year we are going to please our spectators once again as Azerbaijan will host a wonderful, prestigious competition of global calibre. Azerbaijan has been able to present itself to the world as a sports country," the President said.

Member of the Azerbaijani national polo team Elcin Camalli shared his impressions of the tournament with R+: "The result of our polo team is a historic victory. The first European Polo Championships was held in Baku. Plus we became champions in this tournament. I would like to thank President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on behalf of the entire team. Thanks for his attention and care, we managed to win the gold in polo, just as in other sports. Personal congratulations from the President gave us an even greater impetus. Azerbaijan has done a lot in recent years for the development of all equestrian sports. International tournaments were held to high standards and new strains of horses were bred. Being a member of the national team of Azerbaijan involves great responsibility".

Meanwhile, head coach Silvestre Garros also deserves high credit for the victory of the national team. He was able to form a strong team in a short period of time thanks to the professional and responsible attitude to his work. He told R+ about his work in Azerbaijan: "I must say that polo is very similar to the Azerbaijani national game of covqan. Nowhere in the world have I seen such good conditions and potential for development of this sport. As a rule, special attention is paid to several sports. Azerbaijani athletes are very fortunate that the same high-level conditions are created for all sports, be they Olympic or non-Olympic ones. After my arrival in Azerbaijan, we started from scratch. And though polo is similar to covqan, there was no material and technical base. However, the Equestrian Federation has created for us all conditions within a short period of time".

He also noted the success of the first European Polo Championships. "The Federation has done a great job for the championships to be held to a high standard, while our athletes have made it double pleasure for the fans by winning the gold. In my opinion, polo is developing very well in Azerbaijan. But we are not going to stop there. The gold medal at the European Championships is bound to attract young people to polo because it is a very interesting sport, albeit less familiar," said Garros.

FIRSTHAND

"The development of the equestrian sport is given a lot of attention. Of late, this sport began to arouse great interest both in Baku and in the regions. I am glad that national covqan championships are held regularly, and the number of teams participating in them is growing. That is, covqan has become a sport which attracts large audiences,"

Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan