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Multi-sports destination
Azerbaijan is one of the countries in the Caucasus region. Because of its vast oil and natural gas reserves, it is one of the fastest growing countries in the region. Azerbaijanis enjoys a high standard of living in comparison to other countries around it. Baku is an ancient city and the modern day capital of Azerbaijan. It is the center of Azerbaijan's power and economy. Baku is home to the past and the future. The city is full of old buildings, some categorized as heritage structures. However, keeping up with the latest trends, it is building modern glass structures which demonstrate the rise of Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan is establishing itself as a sporting destination. Since 2002, Azerbaijan has hosted 36 major sporting events including that of Boxing, Wrestling, Cycling, Taekwondo and Gymnastics. It has also hosted the FIFA Women's Under-17 World Cup in 2012. Azerbaijan is slated to host the UEFA European Under-17 Championship in 2016. Baku Cup, an annual WTA tennis event was launched in 2011.
In June 2015, Baku will host the first ever European Games. It will be the largest multi-sports event ever hosted by Azerbaijan. The games will feature 249 events in 20 sports. 6000 plus athletes from 49 European countries are expected to participate. The games will be hosted in several existing and newly built venues across Baku. These games are expected to establish Azerbaijan as a country capable of hosting major multi-sport events.
F1 in Azerbaijan
In July 2014, F1 President and CEO Bernie Ecclestone announced that Baku will host a Formula One Grand Prix in 2016. It will be the country's first Formula One Grand Prix. The race will happen at the Baku Street Circuit. It is expected that the race will be called "Formula One Grand Prix of Europe". It will be the revival of the F1 European Grand Prix that last happened in Valencia in 2012.
The Baku Street Circuit will be designed by well-known circuit architect Herman Tilke who is credited for stunning circuits in the recent years such as Marina Bay Street Circuit (Singapore), Yas Marina Circuit (Abu Dhabi, UAE), Buddh International Circuit (Greater Noida/ New Delhi, India) and Circuit of the Americas (Austin, USA) among many others.
The Baku Street Circuit will be built around famous landmarks such as Azadliq Square, Neftchilar Avenue, Government House and Maiden Tower.
EURO host
UEFA decided to host the 2020 European Football Championship (Euro) across the entire continent to celebrate UEFA's 60th anniversary. This gave Azerbaijan and many other countries the opportunity to host the prestigious championship. Baku Olympic Stadium which is currently under construction, will have a capacity of 68,700. The stadium will meet FIFA and UEFA's criteria for elite stadiums. As a result, it can host Euro matches. On September 19th 2014, the Baku Olympic Stadium won the right to host one of the quarter-final matches and three group stage matches of Euro 2020 which will unfold across 13 UEFA member countries.
Baku had previously bid for the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games. However, both these bids failed to place Baku as a 'candidate city'. Baku is currently focusing on the 2015 European Games, F1 Grand Prix and Euro 2020 to put Azerbaijan on the world sporting map. Azerbaijan's medal tally at the Olympic Games has gone up from 23 in Atlanta (1996) to 53 in London (2012). Hosting major sporting events will only work in their favour in the future. Azerbaijan is quickly establishing itself on the world sports map as a sporting destination.
