Azerbaijan's Sugovushan celebrates 4 years since first official sporting event Sport returns to Karabakh

March 20 marks four years since the first official sporting event took place in Sugovushan, Azerbaijan.

On this day in 2019, a rowing training camp was launched in the settlement, a landmark moment for Azerbaijani sports, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

The opening ceremony was attended by President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva, and the event was seen as the beginning of the return of sports life to the liberated territories.

The ceremony carried strong symbolic significance. Following the official start, a banner reading “Karabakh is Azerbaijan!” was displayed, thousands of balloons were released into the sky, and athletes began their training sessions. The day was both a celebratory occasion and a clear signal of the region’s recovery.

The first sporting competition in the liberated territories had previously taken place in Aghdam, where, in November 2021, the decisive stages of the “Victory Cup” in fencing for war veterans were held.

Just a month and a half after the start in Sugovushan, the “President’s Cup-2022” in rowing was held, marking the first international tournament on the liberated lands. Athletes from several countries participated, highlighting growing international interest in the region.

Since then, Sugovushan has established itself as a key hub for sports development in Karabakh. It regularly hosts international rowing competitions while modern sports infrastructure continues to be developed across the liberated areas.

March 20, 2022, thus stands as an important milestone for the revival of major sports in Azerbaijan’s liberated territories.

By Jeyhun Aghazada