The opportunity to take part in the Games Experience Programme has given Baku 2015, they claim, an opportunity to gain a "vital insight" into what it takes to organise a major continental multi-sport event.

The inaugural European Games are due to take place in the Azerbaijani capital from June 12 to 28. 

"I would like to congratulate the Olympic Council of Asia and the organisers of the 2014 Asian Games for what has been an impressive event so far," said James Macleod, Baku 2015 director of athlete services and operations, and leader of the delegation here. 

"Every aspect of our experience there was of the highest order, and we are grateful for the opportunity to learn from their talented and professional team.

"The European Games will be a very different event to the Asian Games in many respects.

"But they have set world-class standard for operational efficiency and organisational excellence, and we fully intend to meet that standard."

Baku 2015 can clearly learn much from procedures seen at the Asian Games, a far older and more established event ©AFP/Getty Images



The Games Experience Programme, seeking to utilise the experience of an event that began in 1951 and currently encompasses 45 National Olympic Committees, 36 sports and 13,000 athletes and officials, is being run alongside other similar events, including an Incheon 2014 Observer Programme.

Among participants in this were Pyeongchang 2018 and Tokyo 2020 and delegations from Sapporo and Jakarta, organisers of the 2017 Winter Asian Games and 2018 Asian Games respectively, along with a group from Lima, who are putting on the 2019 Pan American Games.

Gavin McAlpine, the Baku 2015 director of operational capability and readiness, claimed "the insights gained by our team in Incheon will be invaluable for the final months of planning and preparations for European Games operations".

He added: "No matter how much effort is put into writing and studying plans, there is no substitute for first-hand experience in delivering a programme as complex as the European Games.

"Our team has been inspired by watching the Asian Games in action.

"Having returned to Baku we are more motivated than ever to make the inaugural European Games an outstanding success."

Ramin Mammadzada, Baku 2015 accreditation operations team leader, said: "Visiting the Incheon Asian Games was a wonderful observation tour for all of us.

"We had the opportunity to visit the Athletes' Village, the Games Family Hotel and also enjoyed a tour of the venues which was all very useful for us.

"The Opening Ceremony was a fantastic show and was very well organised, but there were many things for us all to learn and it was a very important experience for the whole Baku 2015 team."

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