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European Olympics: Baku, Azerbaijan to host first Games

By Matt SlaterBBC sports news reporter

Last updated on .From the section Sportcomments103

Olympics

The first European Olympics will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2015.

Delegations from the 49 members of the European Olympic Committee (EOC) met in Rome to vote on the proposal.

"The National Olympic Committees (NOC) have received assurance that the event will not cost them a penny, but bring financial gains," the EOC said.

The competition, similar to the Asian or Pan-American Games, will take place every four years and feature around 15 sports in its programme.

Backed heavily by EOC president Patrick Hickey, the European Games were first suggested in 2010.

After a cool response initially the proposal has now been voted through.

The EOC held a secret ballot at its 41st General Assembly in Rome with 38 voting in favour, eight against and three abstaining.

It was thought Russia and Turkey would be candidates to host the competition but it has since emerged that Baku was the only city to bid.

The EOC said: "The exact dates have not yet been fixed, but the Games will presumably take place in late spring or early summer and will have around 15 sports on the programme.

"There are plenty of technical details to decide, but the Assembly has above all shown its will to go ahead, and make this sports event, which is in no way intended to be a copy of the Olympic Games, a tool with which to enhance the attractiveness of sport."

The British Olympic Association (BOA) is one of the 49 members of the EOC, and chief executive Andy Hunt travelled to the Italian capital for Friday's meetings and Saturday's vote.

Before the vote, the BOA was understood to be cautiously supportive of the concept, provided room could be found for it in a crowded timetable.

That was a major worry for some of the larger sports in the Olympic movement, with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) particularly opposed to any addition to the international schedule.

The European Athletics Association (EAA) has already voted against the participation of its members in the Games.

An IAAF spokesman told BBC Sport: "The IAAF position remains as voted a few months ago and we support European Athletics Association position not to accept to participate. This is our position."

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103 comments

  • Comment posted by Bill, at 13:18 8 Dec 2012

    Some people are missing the point, the reason for these games is so that instead of having separate european championships for athletics, swimming, cycling etc. There would be one games at one time in one country which will cost less to hold than separate championships, it will also give these sports more publicity, after all apart from at the olympics when do we reaally watch cycling and swimming

  • Comment posted by Think Tank, at 15:51 8 Dec 2012

    @53

    The complete UN list of Western Asian(145) countries:

    Armenia(051)
    Azerbaijan(031)
    Bahrain(048)
    Cyprus(196)
    Georgia(268)
    Iraq(368)
    Israel(376)
    Jordan(400)
    Kuwait(414)
    Lebanon(422)
    Occupied Palestinian Territory(275)
    Oman(512)
    Qatar(634)
    Saudi Arabia(682)
    Syrian Arab Republic(760)
    Turkey(792)
    United Arab Emirates(784)
    Yemen(887)

    How's that for evaluating information & checking other sources?

  • Comment posted by bag of spanners, at 13:33 8 Dec 2012

    Nothing like starting off the Olympic European Games with it not being in Europe.

  • Comment posted by rideforever, at 12:56 8 Dec 2012

    Sport is just about money now. Not spirit.

    It's sad to see. Gradually all the institutions that used to provide meaning in people's lives have been taken over by sponsorship from Coke and McDonalds ...

    Sport, the way I was taught, was about spirit and passion, and becoming the best man you could be.

    Now it's about marketing, soft drinks, drugs and brown envelopes full of money.

  • Comment posted by MGUK82, at 13:17 8 Dec 2012

    Azerbaijan is technically a European country last I checked but a wierd choice to host this event. Sounds worth a go - assume the European athletics championships will be discontinued.

  • Comment posted by andy, at 13:35 8 Dec 2012

    surely Azerbaijan is an Asian country as it is east of the Bosphorus , just like more than half of Turkey is on the continent of Asia. Azerbaijan borders Iran as well . soon at this rate Europe and for that matter the EU will soon be trying to rule the world. yet another idea that has its fault, location location location or is it just about money, money , money?

  • Comment posted by User0507773843, at 12:22 8 Dec 2012

    What's the budget?

    Hopefully it's not £2billion, then spend £9billion but claim to have come in under budget :)

  • Comment posted by focus63, at 15:41 8 Dec 2012

    Was in Baku for Eurovision this year. While the locals were very friendly, there was a security and corrupt undecurrent everywhere... We joked about every conversation being recorded, tho it wouldn't suprise me if that was going on. The Airport is more like a bus station and I can't imagine it could cope with such a huge event. I left vowing never to return...

  • Comment posted by Eye_Said, at 12:22 8 Dec 2012

    This in no way dilutes the uniqueness of the Olympic Games, not at all. Nor would an additional Regional European Olympics (East, West, North, South), with an addition of a National Olympics programme across all European countries and, of course, dovetailing with annual Local Olympics within each country (The Greater Manchester Olympics, The Powys Olympics, etc).

    Hmm.
    Not convinced.

  • Comment posted by Think Tank, at 13:10 8 Dec 2012

    @12

    Andy in Highland Perthshire

    "... but wikipedia reckons that several countries, including Azerbaijan, are considered to be in both Europe and Asia"

    Andy would that be the same site that lists UK (incl NI), France, Belgium & Spain as transcontinentals? But excludes Eire, Nederlands and Portugal?
    [Unsuitable/Broken URL removed by Moderator]

  • Comment posted by Think Tank, at 15:39 8 Dec 2012

    @53

    Sorry Andy,

    I was just referring to YOUR source of authority - as you said - "but wikipedia reckons".

    Wiki "recons" lots of things - doesn't make it true.

    Thanks for so aptly making my point for me.

    Azerbaijan is E of Georgia->E of Moscow->E of Ukraine->E of Moldova->E of Romania etc

    According to UN ( http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49regin.htm ) Azerbaijan is in Western Asia!

  • Comment posted by mikeb, at 14:34 8 Dec 2012

    These people ,unfortunately ,usually who politically lean to the left(as do I) want to demolish the national and cultural identities of nations in some perverted attempt to embrace this dangerous and counter productive trendy speak,multi cultreralism .if we carry on with crack pot ideas like this there will be no point celebrating differences,there won't be any!

  • Comment posted by kuskutok, at 15:43 8 Dec 2012

    There is a list of sports going round, and suffice it to say that unless you count boxing, handball or triathlon, none of the real blue riband Olympic events are on the list.

    The choice of host is really terrible. If you want to establish the event, put it in a major city with a track record of successful major events. Not a backwater that the IOC has repeatedly refused to give the time of day.

  • Comment posted by User0138791583, at 14:20 8 Dec 2012

    Don't we already have this? The European Championships?

  • Comment posted by Slartibartfast, at 12:29 8 Dec 2012

    "6.
    hairnet
    11 Minutes ago

    did they get an f in geography??

    first to be held in azerbaijan??

    sounds like asia to me - wheres the european in that?"

    That was my first thought too, but wikipedia reckons that several countries, including Azerbaijan, are considered to be in both Europe and Asia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_and_dependent_territories_in_Asia

  • Comment posted by Aidan, at 12:19 8 Dec 2012

    All very well for committees to vote this in but it will only work if the individual sports/top competitors take an interest. So if you are an athlete do you want to peak for the World Championships or the European Olympics... ditto other sports. Could well turn out to be as relevant as sport as the eurovision song contest is to music...

  • Comment posted by bob, at 19:26 8 Dec 2012

    #71
    Leaving, I suppose, the European Olympics as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy of athletics!

  • Comment posted by Peter Ipswich, at 18:34 8 Dec 2012

    Since when was Azebaijan part of Europe!

  • Comment posted by Patrick Gibbons, at 19:24 8 Dec 2012

    Another sporting event where the abundance of oil has decided the host nation.

    Last year the African Nations Cup was in Equatorial Guinea, the Olympics and World Cup in Russia, then Qatar and the WC in Brazil.

    Just proves that these events are little more than new ways for rich people to look smug and smile in front of millions of poor people.

    The joke is wearing thin.

  • Comment posted by Trebor, at 18:18 8 Dec 2012

    What percentage of writers below have been to Baku? Very few I think. It is an extremely nice and interesting city. Those that harp on about corruption are just spouting stuff they have heard repeated in whispers. The country has come from way down as a depressed soviet state. It is making progress and this initiative will help. Moaners here's a tip: fill the glass of wine half full.

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