Mehriban Aliyeva inspects First European Games sports facilities
By Nigar Orujova
Azerbaijan's First Lady inspected the construction and redevelopment progress at sports facilities that will be used during the Baku 2016 European Games on August 28.
President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and chairperson of the First European Games Organizing Committee Mehriban Aliyeva first reviewed the progress of construction at the Baku Olympic Stadium.
Youth and Sports Minister Azad Rahimov informed Aliyeva about the work carried out at the facility. Modern equipment and building materials are used in the construction, and the major part of the project has been completed.
The project envisages the construction of a main stadium, a smaller stadium intended for training sessions, and an auxiliary building. The 70,000-seat six-storey stadium will provide special seats for the disabled, and there will be 3,100 parking lots in the area.
Landscaping work will be carried out around the stadium. The construction of the stadium, which started in November 2012, will end in February 2015.
Azerbaijan's first lady inspected the reconstruction work at the Heydar Aliyev Sports and Concert Complex afterwards. The Complex covers a total area of 46,000 square meters. Repairing the facility will end in January 2015.
Aliyeva also visited the Baku Sports Palace in the Seaside Boulevard to review the reconstruction progress. The number of seats in the complex, built in 1974, was increased from 1,500 to 1,850.
The first lady also inspected the construction of the Aquatic Palace.
Azad Rahimov informed Aliyeva about the work done at the facility. An area of 6 hectares was allocated to the construction of the Aquatic Palace. The palace, covering an area of 66,000 square meters, is fully compliant with the requirements of the International Swimming Federation.
It will have three swimming pools. The first pool, 50 meters long and 25 meters wide, is designed for competitions. The second pool is intended for training. The length of the pool for diving is 25 meters and the width of it is 20 meters. Sports competitions in the palace can be watched by 6,200 spectators.
All the conditions for training athletes and organizing national and international competitions will be available here. The palace will operate fitness rooms, a SPA center, a restaurant, a 100-seat conference hall, offices, and other utility rooms. The area around the Aquatic Palace will have ancillary buildings, structures, and an aboveground car park for 500 cars.
Baku 2015 will be the first European Games, an exciting and innovative new multi-sport event for the continent, which will take place in June 12-28, 2015.
There will be a total of 19 sports at Baku 2015: 16 Olympic sports and three non-Olympic sports. More than 6,000 athletes are expected to represent their nations during the 17 days of competition.