7th EUROPEAN YOUTH OLYMPIC FESTIVAL OPENED IN PARIS
The ceremony started with a melody of a song about Paris. The first featuring at the stadium was the team from Greece, birthplace of the Olympic Games. When the team of Azerbaijan entered the stadium, Azerbaijani students living and studying in Paris, three-colour flags of Azerbaijan in tribunes greeted the sportsmen warmly.
The participants kept a minute of silence in memory of the last President of the Olympic team of Turkey and the flag of that country was lowed.
President of the European Olympic Committee Pescante and Chairman of the Organizational Committee, Jacques Bravo greeted the sportsmen and pointed out the role of sports in making closer the nations, development of friendly relations between the countries.
Minister of Sports of France Mr. Lamoure announced the Olympic Festival open.
The ceremony rounded by a sports and dancing program and fireworks.
It is interesting that according to the number of sportsmen, the biggest delegation is that of France – 146 sportsmen, Monaco and San Marino represented at the Festival by the smallest teams – 4 sportsmen in each. Some 85 referees will take part in the Olympiad.
It has to be noted that 2756 representatives from 48 countries are taking part in the Olympic festival featuring in 10 kinds of sports. Thirty-two members of the Azerbaijani team, which are taking part in such an event for the first time, will defend sports honour of the Republic of Azerbaijan at the competitions in judo, swimming, table tennis, athletics and cycling.
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