“O sport! You are peace!”

The farewell ceremony of the Azerbaijani Olympic team that will participate in “Paris-2024” was held. 48 athletes from our country will participate in the upcoming Summer Olympic Games. The honor of carrying the Azerbaijani flag at the opening ceremony held in Paris was entrusted to judoka Gultaj Mammadaliyeva and boxer Mahammad Abdullayev.
The Olympic Games are one of the most significant events in the world of sports. They are held every four years and bring together athletes from all over the world representing their countries in various sports. Games help to strengthen international relations, cultural exchange, and mutual understanding between nations, inspiring millions of people to achieve high results and strive for excellence. Games have a special attitude not only by athletes but also by sports fans. The opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games are also an important tradition that showcases the culture of the host country.

The Olympic movement, founded by Pierre de Coubertin at the end of the 19th century, is based on ancient Greek traditions. One of the main traditions is the lighting of the Olympic torch, which is a symbol of peace, unity, and friendship between nations. The Olympic torch is lit in Greece and carried by relay to the venue of the games. During the Olympic Games, a truce was declared between the hostile parties, and those who violated it were punished. Unfortunately, these principles are not always followed now, but at least efforts are made to stop armed conflicts during the Olympic Games. Despite the differences in political views, different geopolitical interests, and mental characteristics, representatives of different regions are united by the love of sports, which improves the world.

Sport is a world of justice, honesty, perseverance, and strength, a world where anyone with a strong spirit has a place. “O sport! You are peace!” – this saying of Baron Pierre de Coubertin became the slogan of peaceful coexistence of all peoples of the world. It should be, but unfortunately, the world has never been ideal.
The Olympic Games are distinguished by their scale and international importance, bringing together athletes from more than 200 countries. I think every athlete dreams of participating in the Olympic Games. The situation led to the fact that I could not participate in the Olympics as an athlete, but I always watched the Olympic sports competitions, of course, first of all, the competitions between judokas with great impatience. For a judoka, any competition is, first of all, an exam, an opportunity to test one’s capabilities, and a holiday, but the attitude to the Olympic Games is especially sensitive, exciting, and joyful.

The real rise period of the Olympic movement in Azerbaijan began after the election of the Honorable President Mr. Ilham Aliyev as the head of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) in 1997.
I would like to proudly remind you of one important fact: after the restoration of state independence, the first Olympic gold medal was brought to Azerbaijan by our famous judoka, my dear friend Nazim Huseynov. In 1992, he won a gold medal at the XXV Summer Olympic Games held in Barcelona (Spain) and wrote his name in golden letters in the history of Azerbaijani sports.

Then there was a period of stagnation in judo that lasted up to 16 years. And only after President Ilham Aliyev became the head of the Azerbaijan NOC, the revival of our judo began.
Another prominent representative of Azerbaijani judo, Elnur Mammadli, became the champion of the Beijing (China) Summer Olympic Games in 2008. Our judokas Mevlud Miraliyev (Beijing 2000), Irina Kindzerskaya (Tokyo 2020), Elmar Gasimov, Rustam Orujov (Rio de Janeiro 2016) who won medals in the following Olympics also made a worthy contribution to the development of judo in our country.

Of course, there are still members of the Azerbaijani judo family among our athletes, who we hope will achieve high achievements in the Paris Olympics. 7 male and 2 female athletes will represent our country in judo competitions. I am especially pleased that among them is the “Judo Club 2012” representative Zelim Kotsoyev.

I believe that each of our athletes will make sacrifices to raise the Azerbaijani flag and sing our national anthem in France, and I pray to God that we will experience that proud moment together!
We expect brilliant Olympic victories, medals, and worthy participation in such a prestigious tournament from representatives of various sports. Good luck!

Azer Askerov