Baku 2020 Launches Olympic Bid Campaign
The Baku Bid to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games has formally launched its campaign, with the Bid’s logo, slogan and website unveiled by Vice-President of the Baku 2020 Bid Committee, Chingiz Huseynzade, together with Azad Rahimov, Minister of Youth and Sport, at a celebratory event.
They were joined at the event by Azerbaijani Olympic medallists Zemfira Meftaheddinova (shooting), Elnur Mammadli (judo) and Paralympian Ilham Zakiev (judo).
Also taking part in the ceremony was a group of young elite gymnasts, representing the potential Olympians of 2020.
Mr Huseynzade said: ‘In the 20 years since our country’s independence, we have come a very long way as a nation. If we realise our dream of hosting the Games in 2020, with the Olympic Movement at our side, I believe that together we can take the next great leap forward in our country’s development.’
‘Together we can reinforce and continue the positive social and economic changes that have already taken place in Baku and Azerbaijan over the past two decades and help Baku to become a leading global destination far sooner than it would without the Games.’
‘Together we can also accelerate the development of team sports and introduce new sports into the country that will benefit the young and old, men and women of Azerbaijan. And finally, together we can enable our country to fulfil its true sporting potential, giving an enormous boost to the development and diversification of sport and society in Azerbaijan.’
‘Hosting the 2020 Games will be ‘life-changing’ for Baku and the country.’
Mr Huseynzade said that the Baku 2020 Bid was not only concerned about what the Olympic Movement could do for Baku and for Azerbaijan, but that it was equally passionate about what Baku and Azerbaijan could do in turn for the Olympic Movement.
He said that an Olympic Games hosted in Baku would become a role model and an inspiration for other less well-known cities around the world to bid – cities which, like Baku, have the potential to achieve great things way beyond people’s perception.
Konul Nurullayeva, Bid CEO, added: ‘We are extremely proud of our Bid logo, which is inspired by Azerbaijan’s world-famous carpets and in particular by how each individual thread is woven together with others to create something amazing, delightful, surprising and beautiful.’
‘The idea of intertwined and mutually empowering relationships are the very heart of Azeri history and culture. The logo is therefore full of Azeri meaning and provenance. It is not mere decoration, it is a graphical articulation of the Bid’s slogan, “Together we can”.’
