CEV President strengthens cooperation with Azerbaijan Volleyball family following series of high-profile meetings
News
CEV President Aleksandar Boričić travelled earlier this week to Baku together with CEV Senior Vice-President Renato Arena, the President of the Turkish Volleyball Federation Mehmet Akif Üstündag, as well as the President of the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation, Mr Lubomir Ganev, for a series of high-profile meetings with local government and sports authorities.
During the first day of the visit, the delegation paid their tribute and respect to the former leader of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr Heydar Aliyev at the Alley of Honour, and they laid flowers in front of his grave. The memory of outstanding ophthalmologist scientist and academician Zarifa Aliyeva was celebrated as well, as flowers were placed on her grave as well. Afterwards, the international guests visited the Alley of Martyrs, which pays tribute to Azerbaijani soldiers who have fought for the independence and territorial integrity of the country, followed by a visit to the Turkish Martyrdom monument, a remembrance of the Turkish citizens who died for the independence of Azerbaijan.
The CEV President and his colleagues later attended a press conference held at the Four Seasons Hotel in the Azerbaijani capital. This was attended by the leadership of the Azerbaijan Volleyball Federation (AVF), as well as by Mr Chingiz Huseynzade, Vice-President of the Azerbaijan National Olympic Committee, and Mr Azer Aliyev – the NOC Secretary General.
Aleksandar Boričić“I'm happy to return to Azerbaijan after some time. We had a meeting with the AVF management and other parties, where we discussed how we can support the development of Volleyball in Azerbaijan. Many local children have shown an interest in Volleyball at school, and the AVF has established regional academies for the training of local players. I wish to thank the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev and the leadership of the National Olympic Committee for their great support to Volleyball.”
CEV President
AVF President Sahin Bagirov welcomed the participants and opened the event. He shared information on the start of the Azerbaijani national league on the very same day and emphasised that many important items were discussed with the CEV leadership and other foreign visitors.
All other guests, in turn, expressed their pleasure to visit Azerbaijan and participate in the opening ceremony of the Azerbaijani national league. At the event, the attending journalists were informed about the new season of the Azerbaijani national championship, as well as about competitions, joint projects and other events that will be held in the Caucasus country.
The CEV delegation attended the opening ceremony of the 2023/2024 Azerbaijan Women’s and Men’s Volleyball Championships organised at the Baku Sports Palace and watched the first match of the Women’s League. The opening ceremony began with a parade of all the teams participating in the championship followed by a minute’s silence to commemorate all those who have fought and died for the territorial integrity of the country. Mr Boričić and Mr Bagirov greeted the audience and wished success to all teams. The AVF President officially opened the National Championships. The national anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan was played, and the event continued with a video message from legendary player, Olympic and World champion Inna Ryskal and a show act.
Later, reigning national champions Azerrail BAKU and national cup titleholders Absheron BAKU played the season opener. Before the match, TVF President Üstündag presented Mr Bagirov with a souvenir and a jersey signed by the members of Team Türkiye, the reigning EuroVolley and VNL champions. Absheron BAKU eventually managed to record a 3-1 victory at the end of a fiercely contested match.
On November 7, at the Volleyball Centre of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, a meeting was held between the AVF management and the CEV delegation. The AVF employees delivered a series of video presentations. Mrs Sabina Babayeva, who is the manager of the women’s national team, spoke about the work done to integrate young players into the national teams. Mrs Nargiz Ismayilova, who is responsible for international relations, reported about the activities of regional Volleyball clubs and the events recently organised across the country. The Beach Volleyball manager, Mr Orkhan Huseynzade, shared the latest news about the current state of Beach Volleyball in the country and the work done in this area. Finally, Mr Vugar Huseynzade, the Sports Director of the AVF, briefed the attendees about the strategic plans developed by the Federation and the work done in the clubs.
A Memorandum of Cooperation between the Azerbaijan Volleyball Federation and Turkish Volleyball Federation was signed by the respective Presidents. TVF President Mehmet Akif Üstündag said that this document will contribute to the expansion of relations between the two organisations.
Speaking later, AVF President Bagirov explained the purpose of the Memorandum, as well as the importance of the work to be done together with the TVF. He said that this document will promote a mutually beneficial cooperation in Volleyball between two brotherly countries, and shared his belief that great success will be achieved in the near future. Moreover, Mr Bagirov expressed his gratitude to all the distinguished guests who took their time to visit Azerbaijan.
Later in the day, the CEV President and his colleagues had a last, high-profile meeting with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr Ali Asadov.