IN THE 20TH CIRCLE OF THE ENDLESS RACE

Azerbaijani sports will remember 2012 for successful performances at the Olympic Games in London, the holding of the FIFA-U17 World Cup in the country, the Year of Sports and finally, the anniversary of the National Olympic Committee (NOC). Playing a major role in the development of national sports, the NOC celebrated its 20th anniversary with great successes in its account.

The NOC is almost the same age as independent Azerbaijan. It was created a year after the country gained independence. "The creation of the National Olympic Committee of Azerbaijan is one of the attributes of the independence of Azerbaijan and is linked to the sovereignty of the country," national leader Heydar Aliyev said at the time.

It is no secret that Azerbaijani sports and the Olympic movement entered an active and new stage in their development in 1997, when the current president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, took charge of the NOC. Incidentally, this year also marks the 15th anniversary of his election as president of this organization.

Over the years, many famous athletes, coaches and sports professionals, who had left the country, returned to Azerbaijan. Leaving their job abroad, boxer Agasi Mammadov, Greco-Roman wrestling coach Elcin Cafarov and volleyball coach Faiq Qarayev returned to continue their careers at home. Azerbaijani teams have also become a favourite place for foreign players.

The country has created good conditions for the training process, taken concrete steps for the development of various sports and strengthened the leadership of federations. The Ministry of Youth and Sports, the NOC, federations, sports associations and clubs have begun to act as a single body. Now there can be no problems between federations, clubs or societies. President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly stressed that there is no concept of Olympic and non-Olympic sports for him and that he is making real efforts to develop sports in general.

As a result, in a short historical period, the country was able to gain prestige in the world as a sports power. In recent years Azerbaijan has hosted the World Boxing Championships, European and World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, European and World Wrestling Championships and the World Youth Fencing Championships. In September of this year, Baku and Lankaran hosted matches of the FIFA-U17 World Cup.

Today, 64 sports are developing in Azerbaijan. The country has 53 sports federations, 66 organizations, 60 clubs and 170 sports schools. There are 18 Olympic and 9,000 other sports centres, while 35 have been put into operation and 8 regional Olympic complexes are under construction. In the 22 years of independence, Azerbaijani sportsmen won 897 gold, 705 silver and 1,013 bronze medals at European and world championships.

"We take a wider approach to the development of sports and implement comprehensive measures. Of course, first of all, the state policy in this field is being conducted very successfully. Thanks to the state policy today, we can present Azerbaijan to the world community as a sports power. It is no accident that 2012 was declared the Year of Sports in Azerbaijan. That is an indicator in itself," Aliyev said.

Ilham Aliyev's personal attention to the development of sports in the country and support for athletes is proved by the very fact that the head of state and the NOC can be seen among Azerbaijani fans almost at all prestigious international competitions. The winners of these competitions receive high state awards and individual stipends. The housing needs, social and communal problems of athletes are being solved.

The sports policy of the state covers important areas such as promoting sports, creating conditions for sports and educating the young generation. Today, athletes are highly esteemed members of Azerbaijani society. Olympic, world and European champions are considered an example for the youth. At the same time, one of the main objectives is to create a mass sports movement, President Ilham Aliyev said. The head of state also spoke out for increased attention to non-traditional sports in Azerbaijan.

The real picture of the development of sports in general and the Olympic movement in Azerbaijan is proved by the dynamics of the results of the Olympic Games: from one medal in 1996 to 10 medals in 2012. At the Games in London, Azerbaijan took 30th place in team performances, which is considered a good indicator for the Olympic level.

In parallel with its success in the sports arena, Azerbaijan is paying great attention to the development of sports infrastructure. "We have a great sports infrastructure and Olympic complexes. At the same time, Baku is becoming prettier and better, and the number of visitors coming to Baku is increasing. I am very glad that the number of athletes among them is growing every year," the president said at the ceremony to mark the 20th anniversary of the NOC.

In addition, a new Olympic stadium of 70,000 seats, which will be the largest and most modern arena in the region, is being constructed in Baku. A gymnastics palace, a palace of water sports and a house of boxing are under construction. In the near future, the foundation of a chess palace will be laid. The large concert and sports complex Crystal Hall, where the Eurovision Song Contest was held this year, is also able to host the most prestigious international competitions. Stadiums and sports facilities are being built in the country's regions as well.

All this combined with the experience acquired over the years in hosting prestigious international tournaments allows Baku to bid for bigger events in the future. For example, in 2016, Baku will host a Chess Olympiad. In the coming years, Azerbaijan will host the European Junior Football Championship and European and world championships in various sports. Moreover, Azerbaijan has twice made a bid for the Olympic Games, which in itself is an indication of the country's ambitions in the international sports arena. These ambitions, as is shown by the 20-year experience, are not groundless.