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"Azerbaijan: Sports in Focus" exhibition visible in Paris

19 June 2015 13:04 (UTC +04:00)

Baku – APA. Discovering Azerbaijan, its sporting culture and the taste of its people for physical activity will not be reserved only for visitors of Baku during the European Games (12-28 June). It is possible to discover a broad overview of the country without flying. A photographic exhibition called "Azerbaijan: Sports in Focus", has been touring Europe for several months. It’s currently visible in Paris, in the vast lobby of the headquarters of the CNOSF, a stone's throw from Charléty stadium.

The exhibition is composed of 65 pictures, presenting a diversified facet of sport in Azerbaijan, which combines the high level and leisure sport, competition and leisure practice. These photographs were selected after an international competition organized by the European Azerbaijan Society (TEAS), a pan-European foundation registered in the UK, TEAS told APA.

The competition was intended for professional and amateur photographers. In total, more than 300 images from 50 photograhers were received. The jury comprised three great names in photography: the American Ed Kashi, co-founder of the VII photographic Agency, German photographer Philipp Rathmer - a portrait specialist, and the Azerbaijani Agdes Baghirzade, rewarded with numerous awards for her work on the nature and portraits.

The choice was varied, and selection difficult. After heated discussions, the jury selected three winners, whose names were announced on 27 February in London, at the opening of the exhibition at OXO Gallery. The winner Dilavar Najafov, an Azerbaijani professional photographer, was selected with the photograph entitled "Towards glory", showing a specialist in rhythmic gymnastics at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. The second prize was awarded to a French photographer and video artist Paul Robion, for a photo of soccer players on Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro. The third prize, the Azerbaijani Rufat Abas, presented a picture of a car driver on the grid, just minutes from the start of a race. A photograph entitled "Final instructions".

A video presentation of the photo contest, its winners and the exhibition is visible on the TEAS website (www.teas.eu), in the section dedicated to the 2015 European Games.