SPORTS CALENDAR 2024

This year, we will watch and enjoy the biggest competition on the planet, the Summer Olympic Games to be attended by the world's strongest athletes in Paris. The coming year is also rich in interesting competitions in the sports calendar of Azerbaijan.

Judo, chess, wrestling

The first international tournament of 2024 in Azerbaijan will feature judo. The International Judo Federation has decided to change the dates of the Baku Grand Slam competitions, which were initially planned for November 1-3, 2024. The prestigious tournament, which belongs to the IJF World Tour series, will now take place on February 16-18, 2024 at the National Gymnastics Arena.

This change of dates is beneficial for the judokas. Based on their performances, the athletes will have the opportunity to earn licence points for the Summer Olympics in Paris. Azerbaijan has an extra advantage as the host of the competition, as it can register four athletes in each weight category. This boosts the chances of earning licence points for the Olympic Games.

Chess enthusiasts will have the chance to enjoy two international competitions this year. The Baku Open festival will be held again in the capital of Azerbaijan. More than 500 chess players will participate in this festive tournament. The 10th Vugar Hashimov Memorial, in honour of the remarkable Azerbaijani chess player, will also take place in 2024. The location and the participants of this prestigious competition are yet to be confirmed.

The European qualification tournament of licence wrestling is set for April 4-7 in Baku, ahead of the Summer Olympics. The best wrestlers of the continent will compete for a license to Paris. It will be a memorable event with intense fights, as it will be the last tournament for licences.

Gymnastics

Azerbaijan will welcome several prestigious gymnastics competitions in the next year. The World Cups in artistic, rhythmic and trampoline gymnastics will take place. All three competitions will enable athletes to earn licence points for the Paris Games. 

Moreover, Baku will host the European Rhythmic Gymnastics Cup for the first time. It is open to all member countries of the International Gymnastics Federation. Competitions in all-round, team and individual programme will take place. Both adults and youth will join the tournament. Fans of this sport will have the opportunity to watch the performances from 29 to 31 March from the seats of the National Gymnastics Arena.

On October 16-19, Baku will also host the European TeamGym Championship. The decision was made at a meeting of the Executive Committee at the headquarters of European Gymnastics in Lausanne. Azerbaijan will host the European Championship of this kind for the first time.  The new discipline has been growing in our country since 2018. After the participation of the Azerbaijani national team in the competitions in Portugal, this type of gymnastics was officially added to the disciplines of the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation.

It is worth mentioning that TeamGym is a non-Olympic sport and involves performances on a TeamGym carpet, an acrobatic track and a small trampoline. Competitions are held in three programmes: women's, men's and mixed teams.

Speed racing, canoeing

According to the calendar of the Formula 1 World Championship, races on the fastest sport in the season-2024 will again be held in Baku. The capital of Azerbaijan will host the next Grand Prix of Azerbaijan on September 13-15. The 8th Baku race is one of 24 on the calendar. The new F1 season will open on March 2 in Bahrain and, following tradition, will end on December 8 in Abu Dhabi.

The Azerbaijan Canoe and Rowing Federation also intends to organise two international tournaments in the country in 2024. These are the traditional President's Cup in May and the Mingachevir Regatta in October. Youth and junior teams will compete in both events.

During the year, Azerbaijan may host several more competitions that are not included in the sports calendar.