Sport in Azerbaijan
[2] Azerbaijan's mountainous terrain provides great opportunities for the practice of sports like skiing and rock climbing.
With a history of great wrestlers, such as Namig Abdullayev, Farid Mansurov, Rovshan Bayramov, and Mariya Stadnik, Azerbaijan is considered among the elite nations in this sport.
In 2012, Neftchi Baku became the first Azerbaijani team to advance to the group stage of a European competition, beating APOEL of Cyprus 4-2 on aggregate in the play-off round of the 2012-13 UEFA Europa League.
[7][8] The 1960s are considered the Golden Age for Azerbaijani football, as they produced great players like Anatoliy Banishevskiy, Alakbar Mammadov and football referee Tofiq Bahramov, who is most famous for being a linesman who helped to award a goal for England in the 1966 World Cup Final between England and West Germany.
[12] Backgammon is a game that has ancient roots in the Persian Empire and plays major role in Azerbaijani culture.
Notable chess players of Azerbaijan includes Teimour Radjabov, Shahriyar Mammadyarov, Vugar Gashimov and Zeinab Mamedyarova.
[18] In 2009, Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev issued an order to improve development of chess in the Azerbaijan from 2009 to 2014 period.
[19] Grandmaster Teymur Radjabov became the first owner of the World Chess Cup in the history of Azerbaijan on October 4, 2019, in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.
[20] Martial arts like judo have also brought many medals to this country, namely Elnur Mammadli who conquered gold at the European Championships and 2008 Summer Olympics in the -73 kg category.
However, his Olympic opponent, Wang Ki-Chun, suffered ribcage fracture when Brazil's Leandro Guilheiro hit him with an elbow in the quarterfinal.
[24] Azerbaijani volleyball players include likes of Valeriya Korotenko, Oksana Parkhomenko, Inessa Korkmaz, Natalya Mammadova and Alla Hasanova.
Three years later Shamil muallim went to Moscow with boys' and girls' teams to participate at the All-union School Spartakiad.
Vera Lantratova and Inna Riskal, being members of the USSR team, often participated at the World and European Championships, winning various titles.
After the appointment to the position of chief coach in 1986 Faig Garayev laid the foundation for the restoration of women's volleyball in Azerbaijan.
Zemfira Meftahaddinova became the world’s most accurate stand marksman in Summer Olympic Games took place in Sydney in 2000.
Albert Udachin, Anatoly Spivakov, Diana Osoliker, Irada Ashumova, and other marksmen represented Azerbaijan in this field.
Moreover, She won the 2nd place with small caliber pistol at the World Championships in Barcelona, Spain (1998) and in Lahti, Finland (2002).
The mentioned facilities have been established for the purpose of a recreational and entertainment center, and as a training place for the national shooting team and international professionals.
The building includes a cafe, management, doping control, training, weapons storage, a medical center and so on.
At the Olympic Games in Beijing, Sydney, and Athens, Azerbaijani athletes won 15 medals, including 4 gold.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic was established based on this vision in 1994 according to Decree no 861 of the former president Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev.
In 2004, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan signed a memorandum in Qatar in order to cooperate in the field of sport during his official visit to this country.
On 24 July 2006, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a decree "about Preparation to XXIX Summer Olympic Games".
[34][33] The sportsmen of Azerbaijan have won 2615 medals in World and European and Cup championships since its independence (897 gold, 705 silver and 1013 bronze).
