Day two of the five-day tour began south of the Azerbaijani capital at the BMX Velopark, before the Flame headed to the Aquatics Centre in the hands of Tatayana Tikitina, a member of the Azerbaijani synchronised swimming team.

It then stopped at the Basketball Arena, the Mountain Bike Velopark, Bilgah Beach and Heydar Aliyev Arena, from where it moved on to Tofiq Bahramov Stadium, home of the European Games archery competition.

The next destination was the National Gymnastics Arena, where Marina Durunda, Azerbaijan's national artistic gymnastics champion, posed with the Torch. 

"I am happy and proud of carrying [the] Torch of the first European Games," she said. 

"Now I am full of emotions and it is [an] honour for me to be here.

"Azerbaijan is a great country and ready to organise such a big event.

"We have prepared for [the] tournament and I believe that we are able to take the highest places here.

"We have huge responsibility and we will show our best skills."

The Flame eventually completed its tour at the multi-discipline Crystal Hall venue, carried by Magomedrasul Medzhidov, boxing bronze medallist at London 2012.

Tomorrow,  a further 21 Torchbearers will run through the Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage site, from 4pm to 4.50pm, taking in historical sites such as Shirvanshah's Palace, the seat of north-eastern Azerbaijan's ruling dynasty during the Middle Ages, and Maiden Tower, where the Flame is being kept overnight until the morning of June 11.

Meanwhile the Baku 2015 Opening Ceremony, scheduled to take place at 8pm local time on Friday (June 12), will be overseen by one of the world’s most experienced professionals in large scale, live event Ceremonies, Catherine Ugwu. 

Ugwu’s productions date back to the Closing Ceremony of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in her home city of Manchester.

She went on to mastermind the Opening Ceremony of the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, before serving as senior producer for the strategic phase of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Opening, Closing and Victory Ceremonies.

Prior to Baku 2015, her biggest project was as executive producer of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games for which she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2013 for her significant contribution.

“We are extremely fortunate to have such an experienced and highly regarded Director of Ceremonies working here in Baku to launch the inaugural European Games,” said Simon Clegg, Baku 2015 chief operating officer.

“Catherine has built a wonderful reputation over the last 20 years, and she has left her mark on some of the most memorable Ceremonies in world sport.”

Ugwu has been a consultant and programmed numerous international arts festivals in Accra, Adelaide, Antwerp, Los Angeles, Mexico City and New York.

In 1997, she founded the Live Art Development Agency and was co-director until 2001.

Additionally she was deputy director of Live Arts at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London, from 1991 to 1997, holding programming, curatorial and commissioning responsibilities.

“Every Ceremony has to be unique by its very nature capturing the cultural heritage of the host country, and Baku 2015 will be no different,” said Ugwu, who also produced the spectacle that launched London’s Millennium Dome in 2000.

“Azerbaijan may be a young country but it has a proud culture that I know the Ceremonies will reflect.

“We have a wonderful production team and outstanding artistic directors in Dimitris Papaioannou for the Opening Ceremony and James Hadley for the Closing.

“Alongside this, we also have a hugely talented cast supported by some enthusiastic volunteers from Azerbaijan’s youthful community.

“Add to that the magnificent setting of the Olympic Stadium and we have the perfect ingredients for the biggest night in this country’s sporting history.”

For the full Flame in Baku programme click here. 


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