Azerbaijan’s Aghdara welcomes international "President Cup 2026" Rowing regatta sets sail with opening ceremony / PHOTO

The international rowing regatta “President Cup 2026” has officially opened in Aghdara, Azerbaijan, dedicated to the 103rd anniversary of the birth of National Leader Heydar Aliyev.

The event is being held at the Sarsang Reservoir, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Azerbaijan’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Farid Gayibov, described the hosting of the regatta in Karabakh as a significant milestone, noting that the organisational level of the competition continues to improve year by year.

On the first day, competitions began across five disciplines: academic rowing, kayaking, canoeing, dragon boat racing, and sailing. A highlight of the opening ceremony was a water parade, where jet skis carrying flags of participating countries performed a ceremonial procession across the reservoir.

More than 100 athletes are taking part in the regatta, representing Azerbaijan, Czechia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Sweden, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

The competition is scheduled to conclude on May 1.

By Jeyhun Aghazada