Baku, January 10, AZERTAC

“It is a matter of pride that the Ski Mountaineering World Cup is being held at Shahdag for the first time,” Gunel Badalova, General Secretary of the Winter Sports Federation, told journalists following the opening ceremony of the tournament at Azerbaijan’s Shahdag Tourism Complex.

Noting that the Kazakh and Qatari athletes are joining the Ski Mountaineering World Cup for the first-time, the General Secretary added: "A total of 108 athletes from 26 countries, including 36 female and 72 male athletes, are battling challenging slopes over three action-packed days.”

She expressed her optimism that the Azerbaijan Winter Sports Federation would play host to several major and prestigious sports competitions in the future.

“We have already applied to the International Ski Mountaineering Federation to host the European Ski Mountaineering Championship in Azerbaijan in 2026. We do believe that we would succeed in the selections, and get ready for next year's tournament," Gunel Badalova emphasized.

The General Secretary of Winter Sports Federation underlined that their goal also is to host the World Championship in 2027.

The 2025 ISMF Ski Mountaineering World Cup, serves as a qualifier for the 2026 Winter Olympics, where ski mountaineering will debut as an official event. Supported by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Youth and Sports, and co-organized by the International Ski Mountaineering Federation, Azerbaijan Winter Sports Federation and Shahdag Tourism Center, the tournament will run until January 13.