Months ago, the II Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Games were successfully concluded in Belarus with more than 2,200 athletes from 22 countries, including 13 non-members of the CIS, competing for medals in 20 sports during 10 days of competition in 11 cities of Belarus. 

The 36th World Military Wrestling Championship, organised by the State Border Service and the Ministry of Defence and Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan, ended this Saturday in Baku with an outstanding performance by Azerbaijani wrestlers.

On 27 November 2001, the first issue of the 'Olympic World' newspaper was published as the designated press outlet of the Azerbaijan National Olympic Committee. Since its inception, 'Olympic World' has focused on the promotion of national sports, the Olympic Movement, and the ideals inherent in the Olympic ethos.

As part of the Olympic Culture and Education Programme (OCEP) project of the Azerbaijan National Olympic Committee (NOC), a group of teachers and students from Baku Secondary School No. 36 visited Kazakhstan.

On 7 November, a round table meeting was held at the editorial office of the newspaper 'Olympic World', to which employees of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) were invited. 

Baku Olympic Stadium

Baku Olympic Stadium can be considered as the jewel in the crown of Azerbaijan's sporting infrastructure.

The 68,700-seater venue has been built to meet the highest standards of both UEFA and World Athletics.

Preliminary work on the design of the stadium began in 2008 and construction was carried out by SOCAR after ground was broken in 2011.

The stadium was completed in 2015 in time to be the focal venue of the inaugural edition of the European Games, held in Baku.

As well as hosting the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, the stadium also staged athletics.

Since then, the venue has become the home of the Azerbaijan national football team and it staged four matches during UEFA Euro 2020.

This included three group games and the quarter-final between Czech Republic and Denmark.

At club level, the stadium hosted the 2019 UEFA Europa League final between London clubs Chelsea and Arsenal, which the former won 4-1.

It also staged Ceremonies and athletics at the Islamic Solidarity Games hosted by Baku in 2017.

Other events held there include concerts, corporate events, conferences, seminars and weddings.

As well as the playing area, the six-storey high stadium also features hotels, parking and green space.

It has been designed as a perfect circle.

The $640 million venue has views over Lake Boyukshor and has been designed with youth in mind, with the latest mobile technology, big screens and a perfect view from every seat promised.

When work began in 2011, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev placed a metal capsule inside a football which was dropped into the foundations by his son Heydar.

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Baku City Circuit

The Baku City Circuit is a street motor racing track which has become home to Formula One's Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

It first held the European Grand Prix in 2016 before staging the Azerbaijan race every year since, with the exception of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hermann Tilke designed the six-kilometre track which is one of the longest in F1 and features 20 turns.

The circuit makes its way through some of the most beautiful parts of historic Baku, including the Icheri Sheher old town which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It features wide and open sections and also tight twists, with a key feature the long straight along Baku's Caspian Sea shoreline.

Starting next to Azadliq Square, the course then passes Government House before taking in the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and Maiden Tower.

After circling the old town it heads down Neftchilar Avenue and back to the start line.

The Absheron Grandstand at the end of the main straight is a great place to watch the action, with most of the overtaking expected on this section.

Elsewhere, the Icheri Sheher Grandstand allows fans to watch the cars navigate the turns of the old town section.

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National Gymnastics Arena

The National Gymnastics Arena in Baku opened in 2014 in time for the city's hosting of the European Games in 2015.

Work began in 2009 with the arena having space for 9,000 fans.

However, the venue can scale back to 5,000 seats depending on the size of the event which is being held and how large the field of play is.

As well as the main hall, the arena features dining rooms, gyms, auditoriums and a cafeteria for athletes. 

Broadway Malyan and sport specialist BDP Pattern designed the arena which has an exterior designed to reflect the ribbons used by rhythmic gymnasts.

Strobe lighting is used to make the building look like it is "fluttering".

As well as the European Games, the arena was also used at the Islamic Solidarity Games held in Baku in 2017.

It has also held the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in 2019, the Trampoline Gymnastics World Championships in 2021 and the Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships in 2022.

The arena is scheduled to hold the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships again in 2027.

In a demonstration of how versatile the venue is, the arena additionally staged the 2018 World Judo Championships.

Concerts and exhibitions are also held here.

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Baku Crystal Hall

Baku Crystal Hall is a multi-purpose arena which is another key string in Azerbaijan's sporting bow.

It was built to host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2012 and has 12,000 seats for fans.

The arena, which has a crystalline shape, can also host 27,000 for some events when standing room is considered.

German company GMP was the main designer of the complex and Swiss firm Nussli International AG was the main designer of the arena.

The facade of the Crystal Hall features a number of LED lights which can create numerous different effects and be lit up in different colours.

At the 205 European Games in Baku, the venue hosted five sports - volleyball, boxing, fencing, karate and taekwondo.

It hosted volleyball and boxing at the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games.

The 2023 World Taekwondo Championships and the 2014 World Esports Championships were both held at the venue.

It is also a popular destination for concerts.

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Heydar Aliyev Arena

The Heydar Aliyev Arena is a major indoor sporting venue in Baku.

Work on the building started in 1976 and it opened in 1990, before being renovated before the 2015 European Games where it hosted judo and wrestling.

The arena has capacity for 8,000 people and features a distinctive outside design with a sharp jagged top.

When the building was renovated the lighting was completely replaced, big screens were installed and a new acoustic system put in.

The venue hosted judo and wrestling again at the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games and has staged a number of World Championships.

This includes rhythmic gymnastics in 2005, wrestling in 2007 and men's boxing in 2011.

Named after former President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev, the arena was designed by Yuzef Kadymov.

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Aquatics Palace

The Aquatics Palace in Baku is a world-class swimming and diving facility that meets the standards of World Aquatics.

It features an Olympic-size 50 metres pool and a full diving tower and pool.

There is also a training pool and space for more than 6,000 fans to watch the action.

Securo were the architects for the Palace which opened in 2015 in time for that year's European Games.

The building has a big sloping roof and also includes fitness rooms, a restaurant, a conference room, offices and other utility rooms.

As well as the European Games, it also staged competition at the Islamic Solidarity Games in 2017.

Sport is a part of the fibre of Azerbaijan and is central to the country's ambitions both domestically and on the international stage.

European Games

Azerbaijan has proven that it is a major European nation which is able to stage high-quality sporting events.

In 2015, it announced itself on the international stage by holding the inaugural edition of the European Games in Baku, attracting 6,000 competitors. 

Fifty European countries took part in 30 sports from June 12 to 28, in world-class venues which continue to be used for the globe's best athletes.

Azerbaijan's First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva played an active role as head of the Organising Committee, and the country's President Ilham Aliyev declared the European Games open at the Opening Ceremony.

The Opening Ceremony also included a performance from American pop star Lady Gaga.

Russia topped the medals table with 79 golds, but the exciting potential of Azerbaijan sport was highlighted as the host nation finished second with 21 titles and 56 medals in all.

The branding for the Games reflected Azerbaijan's culture and a pomegranate and a gazelle were chosen as mascots.

An estimated worldwide television audience of 1.7 billion people watched the sports events and ceremonies at Baku 2015, with footage broadcast via 38 European broadcast stations and an additional 53 from outside Europe, as the country was put on the map.

A survey among more than 150,000 young people reveled that 80 per cent of respondents believed that the Games played a positive role in promoting Azerbaijan.

In 2019, as a legacy of the event, Baku staged the European Youth Summer Olympic Festival.

The European Games played a huge part in promoting Azerbaijan as a major sporting player, with high-level athletes and superb venues capable of staging the best competitions.

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Euro 2020

Baku's credentials as a sporting hub were given another boost when it was chosen as one of the hosts for UEFA Euro 2020 - which was staged in 11 destinations across Europe.

Azerbaijan's capital was selected to stage a quarter-final and three Group A matches at the Baku Olympic Stadium, joining other major footballing cities from the continent.

The first group game was a 1-1 draw between Wales and Switzerland and the stadium then hosted Wales' 2-0 victory over Turkey four days later.

On June 20, Baku staged Switzerland's 3-1 success against Turkey.

The stadium's quarter-final clash saw Denmark beat Czech Republic 2-1 on July 3, with the combined attendance of the four Games around 75,000 people.

Baku had already demonstrated football prowess by staging the UEFA Europa League final between Arsenal and Chelsea in 2019.

The city's Euro 2020 hosting has resulted in the legacy of more children playing football in the country.

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Islamic Solidarity Games

Two years after the Baku 2015 European Games, Azerbaijan's capital showcased its capability of holding huge multi-sport events again by staging the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games.

Fifty-four countries and 6,000 athletes competed at the event which used many of the venues which had been built for two years earlier.

Azerbaijan starred on the field of play as the impact of hosting events on the standard of its athletes again became apparent.

The host nation topped the medal table, winning 75 golds, 50 silvers and 37 bronze.

By adding the staging of another major event to its portfolio, Baku and Azerbaijan completed a significant couple of years in its sporting history.

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Azerbaijan Grand Prix

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix was held for the first time in 2017 and is now a regular fixture on the Formula One calendar, the top table of motorsport.

Racing takes place on the Baku Street Circuit which spectacularly winds around the country's capital.

Mexican driver Sergio Pérez is the only man to have won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix twice, in 2021 and 2023.

The 2023 race saw history made as it was the first Grand Prix to introduce a "sprint shootout" for qualifying.

This determined the starting grid for one of six sprints planned for the 2023 Formula One season.

Ilham Aliyev

Ilham Aliyev has been the President of Azerbaijan since 2003 and has made sport a central theme in the country.

He has also served as President of the Azerbaijan National Olympic Committee since 1997 and believes that sport is a crucial tool to build a country's brand while increasing its reputation on the international stage.

Azerbaijan and Baku in particular has become a regular host of sporting competitions under Aliyev's leadership, with numerous World and European Championships staged there.

Staging the European Games in 2015 and the Islamic Solidarity Games in 2017 were big tests, and the country showed it was up to the challenge of hosting these massive multi-sport competitions.

Aliyev has often been seen at these major events where he has watched the action and presented prizes to athletes.

He can speak Azerbaijani, Russian, English, French and Turkish.

In 2004 Aliyev was awarded the Olympic Order, and he has also been honoured by the International Paralympic Committee, World Taekwondo, United World Wrestling and the World Karate Federation.

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Mehriban Aliyeva

Mehriban Aliyeva is the first lady of Azerbaijan and has been heavily involved in the country's sporting ambitions.

She has served as President of the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation since 2004, overseeing rapid growth of the sport in the country.

In 2004, Aliyeva was elected as a member of the Executive Board of the Azerbaijan National Olympic Committee.

She was handed a huge role in 2012 when she was named as chair of the Organising Committee for the first edition of the European Games, held in Baku in 2015.

Her success in this role saw her awarded the European Olympic Committees' Order of Merit in 2016 for her special services to the development of sport on the continent.

Two years earlier, she was awarded the "Olympic Excellence" Special Honorary Prize of the International Olympic Academy for promotion of Olympic values.

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Farid Gayibov

Farid Gayibov is the Sports Minister of Azerbaijan.

He has a background in gymnastics and worked for two years as sports and logistics manager at the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation (AGF) from 2003.

From 2005 to 2006, he worked as AGF general manager.

During his time with the AGF he was involved with events including the 2005 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Baku.

In 2006, he was elected as AGF secretary general and he became an International Gymnastics Federation Council member in 2012.

Gayibov is now the President of European Gymnastics, having been elected in 2017.

He is also a vice-president of the Azerbaijan National Olympic Committee

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Azer Aliyev

Azer Aliyev is the secretary general of the Azerbaijan National Olympic Committee.

He previously worked as deputy secretary general of the NOC, and also as vice-president of the Azerbaijan Weightlifting Federation.

An acclaimed powerlifter, Aliyev has won medals at the World and European Championships.

He is a master of sports in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan, the largest country in the Caucasus region, is located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe.