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The role of physical education and sports is constantly increasing on a global scale. The main reason why sport has maintained its relevance in all historical periods is that this field is one of the most effective means of ensuring the physical and spiritual development of a person. The development of sports means that teenagers and young people grow up in a healthy spirit, and the future development of society is based on a solid foundation.

After Azerbaijan gained state independence, the priority direction of the youth and sports policy, which was successfully implemented in the country, was the strengthening of the physical and moral potential of the young generation and the realization of complex measures that serve to fully open this potential. The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, who has successfully continued this strategic direction during the last 19 years, has given young people a wide range of opportunities at the level they deserve, and tried to meet the necessary demands and needs of this group.

Great leader Heydar Aliyev laid the foundations for the development of sports in Azerbaijan and the recognition of our country as a sports country in the world. It is true that although the National Olympic Committee of Azerbaijan (NOC) was established in 1992, the activity of this institution was not noticeable in the first years, the institution was not able to lead the country's sports movement. Azerbaijan could not be represented as an independent state at the 25th Summer Olympic Games held in Barcelona in 1992. Five athletes of our country had to participate in the Olympic Games as a part of the combined team of the CIS.

Each country participating in the Olympic Games, first of all, gets the opportunity to prove itself on a world scale. In 1996, the independent state of Azerbaijan also tried to determine its rightful place among the states and raise its flag to the sky by participating in the XXVI Summer Olympic Games held in Atlanta for the first time. Although the economic situation of Azerbaijan was not encouraging in 1996, when the Atlanta Summer Olympic Games were held, the great leader provided the necessary financial and moral support for the participation of our athletes in this international sports event at a high level. A special organizing committee was established in accordance with the decree "On preparation for the XXVI Summer Olympic Games to be held in Atlanta, USA in 1996" signed by the national leader in February 1995. Although our athletes showed serious perseverance in the Atlanta Olympics, where they participated for the first time, they could not bring home a gold medal. Only the master of freestyle wrestling, Namig Abdullayev, was able to win a silver medal by showing high skills in competitions. However, the national leader removed the pessimistic voice of our athletes with warm words, who returned disappointed from Atlanta, Our great leader, who received the returning athletes at the Presidential Palace, congratulated them and encouraged them to win. In general, participation in the Olympic games ensured the recognition of independent Azerbaijan in the international world and the process of joining the Olympic movement.

The laws “On Physical Culture and Sports” and “On State Youth Policy”, adopted at the initiative of the great leader, gave a serious impetus to the development of sports of Azerbaijan. The opportunities created by these laws have created a real basis for improving the living standards and training conditions of athletes year by year.

Since October 2003, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has been confidently pursuing this policy based on the interests of the people of Azerbaijan. It should be reminded that in 1997, the election of a manager and organizer like Ilham Aliyev to the position of the president of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Azerbaijan opened great opportunities for the implementation of sports and youth policy in new conditions. The President of the NOC, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, implemented serious measures for the expansion of the Olympic movement in the country, the progress of sports and physical education, promotion in a wider geographical area, as well as for Azerbaijan to become an equal member of the world sports family. In addition to state care for sports, work was also carried out to strengthen its material and technical base. The attention and care given to this area proceeded from the goal of protecting the national gene pool of Azerbaijan, as well as educating young people in a patriotic and healthy spirit.

On the personal initiative and organization of Mr. Ilham Aliyev, since 2000, construction of a modern Olympic complex began in various regions of Azerbaijan. "Yacht-club", shooting range and taekwondo center are also great sports facilities that reflect the successful activities of NOC. All this serves to educate the young generation in a healthy spirit and to popularize sports in our republic.

As a result of all this attention and care shown at the state level, the youth of Azerbaijan participates in the development of society as an active social class and has their own word. In times of rapid development of scientific and technological progress, there is not a single area where the traces of modern youth would not be visible. Today, young people are advancing with great confidence in the process of democratization, in the fields of culture, art, science and sports, and are taking important steps towards the preservation and development of our rich cultural heritage. Actively participating in social and political processes, the youth of Azerbaijan uphold the traditions of independent statehood and closely support the reforms implemented under the leadership of the President of Azerbaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev.

Every year  March 5 is celebrated as Physical Education and Sports Day in our country. This date is celebrated according to the Decree of President Ilham Aliyev dated March 4, 2005 on establishing the Day of Physical Education and Sports.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev gave a speech at the opening of the summer sports complex and public relations center of the Ministry of National Security in 2004, in the ceremony of presenting awards to athletes, coaches and sports experts at the National Olympic Committee in 2006.

In 2007, he received the heads and representatives of the national Olympic committees and sports federations of a number of countries participating in the 15th anniversary of the NOC, and participated in the opening ceremony of the Kazakh Olympic Sports Complex.

On October 25, 2007, he signed the Decree "On rewarding the members and employees of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan".

In 2008, the President of Azerbaijan also participated in the farewell ceremony of the Azerbaijani athletes who will participate in the XXIX Summer Olympic Games, the opening of the Salyan Olympic Sports Complex, and the 5th report-election General Assembly of the National Olympic Committee.

In 2009, the head of the country presented awards to athletes, coaches and sports specialists at the end of the year at the National Olympic Committee, members and coaches of the national wrestling team were admitted.

In 2012, which was declared the "Year of Sports" by the Decree of President Ilham Aliyev, was a successful year for Azerbaijani athletes, our team achieved better results at the XXX Summer Olympic Games held in London.  Represented by 53 athletes in 16 sports in the London Olympics, Azerbaijan won 2 gold, 2 silver and 6 bronze medals, breaking its record in the previous Olympics.  At the 2016 XXXI Summer Olympic Games held in Rio de Janeiro, the Azerbaijani national team ranked 14th in terms of medals. Our athletes won 18 medals for our national team.

Azerbaijan is a country that attracts interest at the European and world level, where prestigious international humanitarian, economic, political, cultural, sports events and competitions are held one after the other. Azerbaijan, which hosts various international tournaments almost every year, has recognized itself as an important sports center, taking into account the prestigious international competitions to be held in the near future.

Great trust has been formed in Azerbaijan in connection with the holding of prestigious international sports competitions. This is primarily related to Azerbaijan's rapid socio-economic development and broad financial opportunities. Another important factor is the renewal of the sports infrastructure in Azerbaijan, the construction of the most modern sports complexes that meet international standards, equipping them with modern equipment and technology, as well as the great experience of our country, high organizational capabilities, the potential for professional performance of work on organizing international competitions related to availability.

It is no coincidence that such magnificent sports facilities were used for the 2012 World Championship among 17-year-old girls in football, the first European Games in 2015, the European Championship for under-17 boys in football in 2016, the 42nd World Chess Olympiad, IV Islamic Solidarity Games and European Women's Volleyball Championship in 2017,as well as allowed the organization of the Formula-1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix at a high level.

In 2017, Azerbaijani men's chess players won the title of European champion for the third time, the general secretary of the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation, Farid Gayibov, was elected as the president of the European Gymnastics Union.

In 2018, the Formula-1 was held in Baku for the third time, and on June 5-9, the world championship of the "BMX Racing" type of bicycle sports of the International Union of Cyclists was organized in our country. It also hosted the world cup in gymnastics on March 15-18, and the 26th European championship in trampoline gymnastics, tumbling and double mini-trampoline on April 12-15. At the same time, the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup will be held in Baku on April 27-29 and on June 22-23, the organization of qualifying competitions for the Olympic Games in sports gymnastics among teenagers was carried out. In May 2018, the world championships in capoeira and judo were held in September.

For 15 years, our athletes have won great victories at the Olympic Games, world and European championships. Azerbaijan participated in 7 Olympic Games in those years (2004 — Athens, 2006 — Turin, 2008 — Beijing, 2010 — Vancouver, 2012 — London, 2014 — Sochi, 2016 — Rio de Janeiro). Azerbaijan won the second place in the European Games, and the first place among all Muslim countries in the Islamic Solidarity Games. At the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Azerbaijan took 14th place in terms of the number of medals.

As a result, the international reputation of Azerbaijan in the field of sports is getting stronger. For this reason, Azerbaijan is trusted to organize a number of prestigious sports competitions.

In modern times, physical education and sports maintain their relevance. In the decree signed by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the preparation of the "Azerbaijan 2020: a vision of the future" Development Concept, the Development Strategy covering the years 2013-2023 and 2016-2020 with the aim of encouraging the youth of Azerbaijan to a healthy and active lifestyle and ensuring their integration into society, The State Program for the years 2012-2020 and the National Strategy and State Program for the development of physical education and sports are being prepared and implemented.

The coronavirus had a serious impact on the sports life of the world in 2021. The European football championship and the Olympics, postponed in 2020, were finally held in 2021. Our athletes who participated in the Paralympic Games in Tokyo finished the tournament with 7 medals. Azerbaijan took 10th place in the team championship at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games with 19 medals. This is the highest achievement of the Azerbaijani national team at the Paralympic Games.

On March 12, 2022, the Azerbaijan Open Winter Swimming Championship at the Baku Water Sports Palace, organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijan Swimming Federation, on February 8-10, 2022, under the organization of the Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation and The Central Department of Youth and Sport of Baku, the Azerbaijan Championship among youth in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling (U-21) was held.

The participation of Azerbaijan's National Olympic team in the "Beijing-2022" Winter Olympic Games was planned.

Currently, large-scale landscaping and construction works are underway in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur, which have been liberated from occupation, under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. Special attention is paid to the construction of sports infrastructure in the liberated territories that meets modern requirements. In general, numerous projects and  important measures are being implemented in Azerbaijan in the direction of creating a modern sports infrastructure. It is enough to mention only one fact that dozens of Olympic sports complexes have been built in Azerbaijan, which is an active member of the International Olympic movement, and fundamental reconstruction works have been carried out in other sports facilities. There is no doubt that one of the main places where new Olympic sports complexes and other sports facilities will be built soon will be our territories freed from occupation. From rowing to wrestling, from chess to various intellectual and team games, as well as in many other sports, a new generation of athletes will grow up in our liberated territories, who will represent Azerbaijan properly. The first sports infrastructure has been created in the territories liberated from occupation. The visit of President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva to Sugovushan settlement was marked by the organization of the first sports event in the liberated territories. Thus, the first rowing training meeting was officially opened by the Azerbaijan Canoe and Rowing Federation in Sugovushan settlement of Tartar region.

The sport of Azerbaijan will further develop under the leadership of the head of the country, president of the National Olympic Committee, Ilham Aliyev, and our athletes will gain new achievements.

Adiba Ismayilova

Head of "Khagani 57" territorial party organization

of the New Azerbaijan Party of the Sabail district