Silk Road Swimming World Cup opening ceremony held in Baku

The opening ceremony of the Silk Road Swimming World Cup, organized by the Azerbaijan Swimming Federation (ASF) with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, has been held, Report informs.

The event, held at the Aquatics Palace in Baku, was attended by World Aquatics President Husain Al-Musallam, ASF President Zaur Aliyev, Minister of Youth and Sports Farid Gayibov and other officials.

Minister of Youth and Sports Farid Gayibov was the first to address the opening ceremony. In his speech, he said that Azerbaijan successfully hosts various prestigious international competitions every year. The minister emphasized that the attention and care shown to sports by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev have made an important contribution to the development of the sector, the creation of modern infrastructure and Azerbaijan's transformation into one of the centers for hosting international-level competitions. He noted that the World Cup is being held in Azerbaijan for the first time and congratulated the participants on the occasion.

Zaur Aliyev then addressed the ceremony, saying that this historic occasion is of particular importance to Azerbaijan. The federation president noted that Azerbaijan is hosting the Swimming World Cup for the first time. He emphasized that the competition is a manifestation of the support provided to the country.

Finally, Husain Al-Musallam addressed the ceremony. He expressed his pleasure at attending the opening of the World Cup in Baku. Al-Musallam noted the efforts made to organize such a high-level competition and conveyed his gratitude to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the Azerbaijan Swimming Federation and the organizing committee.

Following the speeches, the national anthem of Azerbaijan was played.

The opening ceremony then continued with a show program.

The World Cup is being held at the Aquatics Palace in Baku from October 1 to 3, with the participation of 216 athletes from 44 countries.