Azerbaijan's Ganja hosts solemn opening of 3rd CIS Games President Aliyev and First Lady attend ceremony / PHOTO / VIDEO / UPDATED

On September 28, the solemn opening ceremony of the 3rd CIS Games was held in Ganja.

Prior to the event, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva met with children who had lost their parents, family members, and close relatives, as well as those injured as a result of missile attacks on Ganja during the Patriotic War, Caliber.Az reports, citing Azertag.

The head of state and First Lady then watched the official ceremony.

The ceremony began with the raising of the tricolor flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan, accompanied by the national anthem, followed by a ceremonial parade of athletes from the participating countries.

Azerbaijan’s flag was carried into the arena by karate fighter Asiman Gurbanli and taekwondo athlete Zemfira Hasanzade.

Addressing the event, Samir Sharifov, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 3rd CIS Games, said:

- Your Excellency, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev.

Your Excellency, First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva.

Distinguished guests, athletes, coaches and sports fans.

I greet you from Ganja, the ancient land of Azerbaijan, and welcome you to the Third Games of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Starting today, Ganja and six other cities – Sheki, Gabala, Yevlakh, Mingachevir, Goygol, and Khankendi – will host the Third CIS Games.

A total of 2,400 athletes from CIS countries, as well as Türkiye, Pakistan, Oman, Cuba, and Kuwait, which have joined them, will participate in the 10-day competition.

Ganja, the homeland of the great Azerbaijani poet and thinker Nizami Ganjavi, with its ancient culture and rich history, is now the sports capital of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

We are confident that these Games, inaugurated at the newly opened Ganja Stadium, will be a fair competition based on the principles of friendship, peace, and mutual respect, and will contribute significantly to strengthening cooperation between our countries and peoples.

Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the development of sports. Thanks to the special attention and care of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, our country has become one of the influential and reliable members of the international sports family. Azerbaijan has asserted itself as a capable organizer by hosting prestigious international competitions in different years. The First European Games in 2015, the Fourth Islamic Solidarity Games in 2017, as well as various world and continental championships, have been held in Baku at a high level.

We believe the Third CIS Games will also be remarkable in this regard. The fact that the Games are being held outside the capital, Baku, shows that strong infrastructure and the necessary conditions for the development of sports have been created in the regions of our country.

We are grateful to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan for his care and support in organizing large-scale sports competitions in the regions.

As the Organizing Committee, we declare that our cities are fully ready to host the CIS Games and to welcome athletes with traditional Azerbaijani hospitality.

Dear athletes and guests, we are sure that Azerbaijan will become your second home during these days. You will experience wonderful and colorful impressions and make new friends here.

We wish all athletes participating in the Third CIS Games the best of luck and hope their determination will be duly rewarded.

This celebration of sport will open a new stage in strengthening solidarity between our countries and, as the motto of the Games says, will create a victory in every heart.

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Greeting the participants, Nurlan Seitimov, Deputy Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Independent States, said:

- Good evening, dear friends. Allow me to read out a letter from the Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Sergey Nikolayevich Lebedev.

“To the organizers, participants and guests of the Third CIS Games.

On behalf of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States, I would like to warmly welcome you to the opening of the Third CIS Games held in the hospitable Republic of Azerbaijan.

This magnificent sporting event, which has become a remarkable symbol of the sports unity of our peoples, is not only a platform for demonstrating the highest professionalism of athletes, it also serves to strengthen friendly relations between the CIS countries and develop multilateral cooperation in the fields of culture and sports.

The CIS Games are a vivid example of the fact that sport is one of the strongest symbols of solidarity of our time. Over the course of several days, seven cities in the Republic of Azerbaijan will host a magnificent sports festival that participants and spectators are sure to enjoy.

In a time when young people face numerous challenges, sport offers and promotes a time-tested path — the path of discipline, determination, and a healthy lifestyle.

These qualities turn young people not only into successful athletes, but also into true leaders in any field of activity.

I am sure that the Third CIS Games will leave an indelible mark on the history of the sports movement of the Commonwealth and serve to further bolster humanitarian cooperation.

I wish all young athletes victories, new records, and personal development. May these games inspire new achievements both in the sports arenas and in creative work for the well-being of our countries.

Sergey Nikolayevich Lebedev, Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Independent States.”

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Subsequently, a swearing-in ceremony for the athletes and their coaches took place.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev officially declared the 3rd CIS Games open.

The event continued with an artistic performance, and the night concluded with colorful fireworks illuminating the sky of Ganja.

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The city of Ganja was chosen as the “Sports Capital” of the 3rd CIS Games, a decision adopted at the meeting of the Physical Culture and Sports Council of CIS member states in Minsk, Belarus.

The 3rd CIS Games, running until October 8, will feature competitions at 12 venues, where athletes will compete for 1,694 medals (505 gold, 505 silver, and 684 bronze) across 23 sports. In addition, athletes who make the greatest contribution to the success of the winning teams will be awarded special prizes.

The 1st CIS Games were held in 2021 in Kazan, Russia, and the 2nd in 2023 in Minsk, Belarus.