OMM Newsroom
The National Olympic Committee of Azerbaijan (NOC) hopes the country’s team will return with medals from the IV Summer Youth Olympic Games in Senegal, team Chef de Mission Anar Baghirov said.
Baghirov said preparations had gone well, the team’s needs had been addressed and athletes had received instructions for the Games. Although the team is small, it includes athletes capable of achieving strong results. He said the team hoped to return from Dakar with medals.
Delegation comprises 23 people
Azerbaijan will take a 23-member delegation to the tournament, which runs from October 31 to November 13. The delegation includes the mission chief, 13 athletes, eight coaches and a doctor. The athletes will compete in judo, beach wrestling, fencing, road cycling, taekwondo, athletics, swimming and boxing.
Baghirov said he would travel to Dakar with the doctor on October 27 to review organizational arrangements before the competitions and work to ensure suitable conditions for the athletes. He last visited Dakar in April for a seminar for mission chiefs.
Athletes will travel on different dates
Teams in each sport will travel to Dakar two to three days before their competitions begin and return to Azerbaijan the day after completing their events. As a result, delegation members will travel to Senegal on different dates. Judo and swimming athletes will be the first to leave.
Baghirov said some challenges were expected in Dakar and it was not yet clear how certain issues would be handled in practice. The main priority, he said, was to ensure athletes could prepare comfortably, meet their needs and resolve any problems that could hinder their performances. The NOC has completed the necessary preparations for the team; the focus now is on organizing a successful trip and creating conditions for the athletes to demonstrate their potential.
