The official opening ceremony of the 21st Men's and 12th Women's World Fire and Rescue Sport Championships has been held in Baku, APA reports.
The event, jointly organized by the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the International Sport Federation of Firefighters and Rescuers, was attended by Minister of Emergency Situations of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Kamaladdin Heydarov, President of the International Sport Federation of Firefighters and Rescuers Aleksandr Chupriyan, Minister of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation, Colonel General Aleksandr Kurenkov, Minister of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus, Major General of Internal Service Vadim Sinyavsky, First Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Colonel Sanjar Zuparov, Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic, Colonel Almazbek Asanov, teams and delegations from the Federation's member countries, competition judges, and other local and foreign guests.
The event began with a ceremonial parade of members of the main panel of judges of the International Sport Federation of Firefighters and Rescuers and teams from the participating countries.
Following the presentation of the State Flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the flag of the International Sport Federation of Firefighters and Rescuers, the National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Federation's anthem were played.
At the ceremony, Minister of Emergency Situations of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Kamaladdin Heydarov, delivered an opening speech and welcomed the participants. The minister stated that, as a result of the wise policy of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and President of the National Olympic Committee Ilham Aliyev, the country has become a prestigious sporting nation on a global scale.
In recent years, thanks to the establishment of modern sports infrastructure meeting international standards and the high-level attention and care given to the development of various sports in the country, Azerbaijani athletes have achieved outstanding results at the most prestigious tournaments, World and European Championships, and Olympic Games, raising the country's tricolor flag. At the same time, Azerbaijan is recognized worldwide as a strong sports hub for successfully hosting prestigious international sporting events.
The minister noted that the championship held in Baku would make an important contribution to the development of fire and rescue sport, the expansion of professional ties between relevant institutions of different countries, and the exchange of experience.
Minister Kamaladdin Heydarov expressed confidence that the upcoming competitions would become a shining example of high sporting excellence, fair competition, and mutual respect, while also creating favorable opportunities to strengthen professional ties among participants. He emphasized that the development of fire and rescue sport makes a significant contribution to promoting a healthy lifestyle and increasing the younger generation's interest in sports and serving society, and wished the participants success.
Then, President of the International Sport Federation of Firefighters and Rescuers Aleksandr Chupriyan, Federation Director Andrey Kalinin, and Chief Judge Aleksandr Klitonchik delivered speeches, expressing their gratitude for the high-level organization of the World Championships in Azerbaijan. They highly appreciated the conditions created for holding the competition and the organizational work carried out, and wished the participants success.
The 21st Men's and 12th Women's World Fire and Rescue Sport Championships were then officially declared open.
During the ceremony, videos highlighting Azerbaijan's rich history and culture, as well as videos dedicated to the World Championships, were screened, and an artistic program featuring examples of Azerbaijani national music and dance was presented.
Later, in accordance with the championship program, the men's semifinals and finals and the women's finals in the hook ladder climbing event were held.
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