Baku. 3 September. REPORT.AZ/ Baku 2015 European Games Operations Committee (BEGOC) today hosts its fourth European Olympic Committees (EOC) Coordination Commission ahead of next year’s inaugural event, Report informs citing the offcial website of the Games.
Members of the EOC Coordination Commission team will spend two days in Baku visiting competition venues for next year’s European Games and receiving updates from BEGOC directorates.
It will be the EOC’s first opportunity to see the new Baku 2015 branding displayed across the host city, and hear details about the recently updated sports programme.
Today, Mr Azad Rahimov, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Youth and Sport and BEGOC Chief Executive Officer, also formally declared open the new Baku 2015 headquarters in a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Chairman of the EOC Coordination Commission, Spyros Capralos, and members of the Commission present.
Also in attendance were four Azerbaijani Olympic champions who will be Ambassadors for Baku 2015: Greco-Roman wrestler Farid Mansurov who won gold at Athens 2004; Freestyle wrestlers Namig Abdullayev and Togrul Askerov who won gold at Sydney 2000 and London 2012 respectively; and shooter Zemfira Meftakhatdinova who won Skeet gold at Sydney 2000.
The Commission was officially welcomed to Baku by Minister Rahimov, who said that Azerbaijan government is fully committed to making the first European Games a success and a great experience for the elite athletes of Europe.
“In recent months, we have made several important and significant steps towards delivery of an event that will unite Europe in a unique celebration of sport.”
The new BEGOC headquarters are close to the Baku Boulevard, placing the team at the heart of the city and featuring large open-plan spaces and a highly advanced technology environment, which will ensure the next step in the organisation’s development.
The building has a total capacity of 1,057 people and is approximately 11,000 square metres in size. It features an auditorium with capacity to accommodate 250 people, three kitchenettes and several meeting rooms per floor, shower facilities and a prayer room.
The BEGOC workforce currently stands at a total of 769 employees across 20 directorates. Of this total, 468 are Azerbaijani nationals, with the remaining 301 international employees coming from 37 different countries.