ROME, November 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
Athletes endorse first European Games logo as preparations in Baku proceed rapidly
Azerbaijan's Minister of Youth and Sport, Azad Rahimov, today unveiled the official logo for the first European Games, which will be held in June 2015 in Azerbaijan's capital city, Baku.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131123/654546-a )
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131123/654546-b )
"We are honoured to host the first-ever European Games and to welcome athletes and visitors from throughout Europe for this historic event in 2015," said Minister Rahimov. "Our logo reflects the pride of our nation in its sporting heritage, our commitment to hospitality and welcoming our guests, and our position as an emerging center for sport, business and tourism in Europe and beyond."
Logo designer, Azerbaijani Adam Yunisov, said: "I wanted to reflect the passion and aspirations that the people in Azerbaijan have and share for these first ever European Games, to be innovative and inspirational in spirit and in sport. This is a celebratory logo which embodies that vision."
The logo was launched at the 42nd European Olympic Committees General Assembly in Rome and represents another important milestone in preparing for the Games, according to EOC President Patrick Hickey.
"Europe, for the first time, will have its own continental multi-sport event. For many European athletes, this event will be an important step on the journey to one day wearing their nation's colours as a competitor in the Olympic Games," Hickey said.
The first European Games in Baku in 2015 will see more than 5,400 athletes from all of the 49 Olympic nations of Europe compete in 18 sports, including new formats and disciplines featuring for the first time at a major European sports event, such as basketball 3x3.
Athletes from the host nation of Azerbaijan immediately embraced the new logo. Speaking at a celebration of the logo launch in Baku, Farid Mansurov, an Azerbaijani wrestler who won gold at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, commented: "Baku 2015 promises to provide career-defining opportunities and moments for athletes, high-quality sporting action for fans and inspiration for young people. To wear this logo is to be a part of shaping the future of European sport."
Zemfira Meftakhetdinova, a sport shooter who won two Olympic medals in skeet, including Gold in Sydney 2000, added: "As an Azerbaijani sportswoman, this is a logo that makes me feel proud of our country's emergence as a European centre for sport, business and tourism."
The logo is the latest in a succession of milestones for Baku 2015 European Games organisers that include:
The rapid progress in planning for the Baku 2015 European Games has impressed international event specialists and members of the European Games Coordination Commission, which conducted an inspection visit last month.
"The pace and scale of the planning behind Baku is a tribute to the commitment of the Government of Azerbaijan, the Organising Committee, local Baku communities and companies, and the European Olympic Committee under President Hickey's leadership," said Jim Scherr, COO of the Baku European Games Operating Committee (BEGOC). "Baku will be ready to welcome the athletes of Europe in 2015."
The logo was unveiled during Baku's first progress report to the EOC General Assembly as host city for the European Games.
Conceived by 35 year-old Azerbaijani Adam Yunisov, the new logo brings together five core elements that have shaped the host country's ancient and contemporary culture and aspirations, including Flame, Water, the mythical Simurgh bird, Carpet and Pomegranate.
Yunisov's logo design, which followed an open public competition, depicts the nation's natural beauty, culture and heritage, and the vibrancy of Baku, one of Europe's fastest-growing economies and cities.
Minister Rahimov said the legacy benefits from the European Games will be significant and transformational.
"For young people, athletes, National Olympic Committees and Sports Federations, Baku 2015 will provide a new world-class centre of sports venues and facilities that will help to shape the future of sport in Europe and, for the communities of Azerbaijan, bring new urban, transport and economic benefits and infrastructure," the Minister said.
"That's what these Games - and our passionate desire to host them - are really about," he said.
Europe's newest sports logo will make its debut this evening, adorning player shirts of Atlético Madrid, in the La Liga home match against Getafe CF at Vicente Calderon Stadium. The game will feature the Baku 2015 logo to show the Spanish Club's support for the first European Games as a part of its strategic alliance with the country of Azerbaijan.
Notes to the editor:
Video
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About the Baku 2015 logo
Conceived by 35 year-old Azerbaijani Adam Yunisov, the Baku 2015 logo brings together five core elements that have shaped the host country's ancient and contemporary culture and aspirations:
About Baku 2015, the first European Games
Baku 2015 will be the first ever European Games and will involve more than 5,400 competitors, from the 49 Olympic nations of Europe, across 18 sports. The Games are owned, organised, and regulated by the European Olympic Committees (EOC). They were created at the EOC General Assembly on 9th December 2012 in Rome, Italy, when the overwhelming majority of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of Europe voted for the creation of the European Games. It was at this General Assembly that the NOC's awarded the inaugural Games, again by overwhelming majority, to the city of Baku, Azerbaijan. For more information visit http://www.baku2015.com
For up-to-the-minute information on the European Games Baku 2015 and regular updates, please see:
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