On October 21 opening ceremony was held in Baku for new Sport Health Complex. At the action President of Azerbaijan Republic Heydar Aliyev, president of European Olympic Committee Jacques Rogge took part. At the opening ceremony president of Azerbaijan National Olympic Committee Ilham Aliyev delivered speech.

Dear President!

Dear President of European Olympic Committee Mr Rogge!

Dear ladies and gentlemen!

Today we gathered here in connection with very significant event - opening of new sportive-health complex. Great meaning of this event for us is in the fact that this center is the first sportive creation that was built and introduced to the work by the National Olympic Committee. One year ago National Olympic Committee decided about construction some new modern sportive centers that meet world standards in Baku and other cities and regions of the Republic. During one year we completed construction of this beautiful and modern sportive complex in Baku.

This sport complex consists of two halls. Both trainings will be held here on different sport disciplines at the same time tournaments, international competitions, championships will be organized. On the same territory National Olympic Committee is building its administrative building. Olympic Committee has been functioning in Azerbaijan for more than seven years, but till today we do not have own building. On this purpose National Olympic Committee builds its administrative building. New building is visible from here. In the nearest future we will gather at its opening and so, center of Olympic movement is created in Azerbaijan.

I would like to say that National Olympic Committee does not consider its work in this field completed by construction of complex. Similar sport centers will be created in all the regions of Azerbaijan. Already similar sport complex is built in Nakhchivan. We soon will start construction of sport center in Ganja. We wish to create necessary and beautiful conditions for doing sport in all regions of Azerbaijan. We surely need Olympic champions and they exist. We need European, world champions. At the same time we should ensure mass character of sport. We want every youth, every child of Azerbaijan to do sport, be in high-level physical form. We need healthy youth, healthy nation, healthy people. So I invite all children, all youth to do sport. Of course, there should be desire for it. I think high results our sportsmen showed in Sydney Olympiad will lift that desire much. There should be circumstance as well. We create today just that circumstance and in future we will create that.

Everything is renewed, develops in Azerbaijan. As well sport. If public-political stability was not stated in Azerbaijan over last seven years, if strong stimulus was not given to creation of strong economy in Azerbaijan, if peace was affirmed, we would not achieve any success in sport. Regular policy of president of our country, reconstruction of country, creation of modern, civil Azerbaijan Republic had big impact on sport. Just due to this attention and care our sportsmen won more than 100 medals in different international competitions in 1999. As a logical result of this care and attention our sportsmen returned from Sydney with victory.

Taking an opportunity, I want to congratulate once again our sportsmen on this great victory. I wish them success. They really showed big heroism. All our people was very happy. Our flag was lifted. Our state hymn was sounded. Before Olympic Games our sportsmen promised to return Homeland with victory and they kept their promise.

Dear ladies and gentlemen!

I am sure that among our children, youth that will train at this sport complex there will be world and Olympic champions of the future. Once again I invite all our youth to sport and want to state my certainty that flag of Azerbaijan will be lifted, state hymn of Azerbaijan will be sounded in 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

Thank you.

AzerTAj.
"Azerbaijan" newspaper,
October 22, 2000.