The first-ever billiards Heineken Cup among amateurs was held in Baku December 22-27. Fazil Mammadov beat his rival Faig Sadykhov 5:4 in the final of the competition, which was organized by Ideal-L, Dutch brewing company Heineken International’s official distributor in Azerbaijan, with the support of the Azerbaijan Billiards Federation. A total of 140 youngsters played the games of the free pyramid type. The most successful players were conferred with a diploma of the Federation, a pecuniary...... полностью

Azerbaijan has won its 10th medal at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing. Athlete Vugar Mehdiyev claimed bronze in the 200-meter running contest on Tuesday. The Azerbaijani team currently ranks 37th at the Paralympics, with two gold, three silver and five bronze medals. Among CIS states, the country is rated fourth, next to Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. Previously, Azerbaijani athlete Ulukhan Musayev, vying in the men's shot put, broke a world record, winning his country’s second gold medal...... полностью

Two Azerbaijani wrestlers won silver medals at the Olympics in Beijing on Tuesday. Greco-Roman wrestler Vitali Rahimov, who was a step away from victory, lost to his Russian opponent, Islambek Albiyev, in the 66 kg final. Rahimov had proceeded to the final after beating a wrestler from China, the Romanian world champion, the two-time Olympic champion from Bulgaria in the quarter final, and his Kazakh opponent in the semi-final. Another Azerbaijani wrestler, Rovshan Bayramov, who competed i...... полностью

President Ilham Aliyev has vowed to pay great attention to the development of football in Azerbaijan. “There are special programs and plans for this. Great investments will be made in this area and large companies attracted as sponsors,” he told an event held in the National Olympic Committee on Thursday. President Aliyev said that one can’t be satisfied with the current state of football in Azerbaijan. “We all watch football matches with great disappointment because football is the most p...... полностью

Azerbaijan’s bid for hosting the 2016 Olympic Games was supported at the 30th meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC PA) held in Georgia. The country’s candidacy was supported with the majority of eight votes. Only Armenia voted against, relating its move to an armed conflict with Azerbaijan.*... читать

Azerbaijani billionaire Vagit Alekperov plans to buy England’s Tottenham football club. The 57-year-old oil tycoon will bid £400 million (about $800 million) for the controlling package in the club, British media reported. Tottenham’s leadership are trying to draw hefty investments by selling out stock in order to improve the performance of the team. Alekperov, born in Azerbaijan and president of Russian oil giant Lukoil, is said to be keen and has the resources needed for the tran...... полностью

The UEFA president visiting Baku said that it was the organization’s mistake to include the national teams of Armenia and Azerbaijan in the same EURO-2008 qualifying group. “After getting familiar with experts’ assessments, we decided to cancel the qualifying matches to be played between the two teams. We will try not to repeat the mistake when making a draw for the 2010 World Cup qualifying matches,” Michel Platini told reporters. Platini and FIFA President Joseph Blatter, who have been i...... полностью

The President of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Michel Platini has been conferred with Azerbaijan’s highest award, the Order of Honor, on a presidential decree issued on Wednesday. The award was conferred for Platini’s activities in developing football in Azerbaijan and expanding the country’s international relations.*... читать

The UEFA president Michel Platini will visit Baku on October 15, the Ministry of Youth and Sport said. During the visit, Platini will attend the opening ceremony of the new office of the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA). Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will receive the UEFA official as well.*... читать

The problem with full participation of the Azerbaijani women’s field hockey team in the European Cup due in Manchester on August 18 has been solved after interference by the government. The British embassy in Baku earlier refused to issue visas to six ethnic Korean players, saying their travel documents failed to comply with the country’s immigration laws. But the problem was solved after the embassy received a guarantee from the Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry, the National Field Hockey Federation...... полностью

The 23rd European championship on rhythmic gymnastics started in Baku on Friday. Over 200 athletes from 33 countries are competing in the tournament being held at the Sports and Concert Complex named after Heydar Aliyev. 25 journalists from Germany, the Czech Republic, Russia, Georgia and other countries will give coverage to the championship to close on Sunday. The Baku police shifted to a tightened work schedule on Thursday to ensure the security of the tournament participants and visitors. ...... полностью

Azerbaijan’s football team sealed a 1:0 win over Finland in a European Cup qualifying home game on Wednesday. In the intense struggle, midfielder Emin Imamaliyev scored the only goal just seven minutes before the match ended, to the acclaim of jubilant fans flocking the Tofig Bahramov Stadium in Baku. The victory – the first one in the qualifying leg of the championship - brings the number of the national team’s points to four.*... читать

The president of FIFA Joseph Blatter and the newly-elected president of UEFA Michel Platini will visit Baku late in March, according to the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA). During the visit, the two will attend the opening ceremony of AFFA’s new office.*... читать

The former deputy prime minister Abbas Abbasov will step down from the post of president of the Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation (AWF), according to a decision passed at the federation’s conference on Monday. Abbasov will be succeeded by the president of the Field Hockey Federation, Minister of Taxes Fazil Mammadov. Mammadov will retain his current post as well. The former deputy prime minister, who is currently living in Moscow, will receive the title of the AWF honorary president.*... читать

Baku plans to bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics, Minister of Youth and Sport Azad Rahimov has told The Associated Press. The government has informed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of its intentions and is prepared to fulfill all the terms for this, he said. The IOC will send bid requests next spring and select the 2016 host in 2009. The next two Summer Olympic Games will be held in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012. Other expected bidders for 2016 Summer Olympics are Madrid, Rome,...... полностью

A delegation led by deputy chairman of the Chinese Olympic Committee and a member of the Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee, Tsay Tsin, will pay a familiarization visit to Azerbaijan November 11-14. The delegation will hold meetings at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Olympic Committee and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation to discuss the participation of Azerbaijani athletes in the 29th summer Olympic Games due in China in 2008. Tsin will also look at several ...... полностью

Azeri Minister of Youth and Sports Azad Rahimov will visit China on September 21. During the week-long visit, the minister will hold several meetings to discuss expanding cooperation between the youths of the two countries and study preparations for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, the ministry said. Rahimov will also tour the venue of the Games, sports facilities and the Olympic township, and enquire about the accommodations provided for Azerbaijani athletes.*... читать

Azerbaijan’s women’s volleyball team has qualified for the World Cup due in Japan in 2006. The team won all the games of the third qualification leg held in Moscow. Azerbaijan came in first in Group G, beating Russia 3:1 in the last match. The team previously beat the Bulgarian and Czech teams with 3:0 scores. Azerbaijan last qualified for the world cup in 1994. The team took the ninth place in the tournament played in Brazil.*... читать

The Azerbaijani national football team’s Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Torres was dismissed from his position on Tuesday. The decision, made by the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA), follows a 0:3 defeat in the 2006 World Cup qualifier played against Poland in Baku on June 4. Torres was appointed as coach late in 2003. Although the Azerbaijani team was successful in the initial friendly matches under Torres’s leadership, it was defeated in recent games held as part of th...... полностью

152 Azerbaijani athletes will leave for Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to participate in the first Islamic Solidarity Games. Saudi Ambassador to Azerbaijan Ali Hassan Jafar met with Azerbaijani athletes at the National Olympic Committee on Tuesday. The Ambassador said that Mecca and Medina will host for the first time such an international tournament, bringing together athletes from more than 50 Islamic countries. Azerbaijan has been invited to the Games by the Islamic Conference Organization, wh...... полностью

Azerbaijani national football team lost to Poland 0:8 in an away match played in Warsaw as part of the World Cup qualifying on March 26. The team’s Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Torres, commenting on the recent media reports suggesting his resignation, said that he will keep his position and will head the Azeri team in the home match due this June. Torres noted that the team trained well prior to the match, voicing his disappointment with the result. Changes will be made to the make-up of th...... полностью

“Azerrail” women’s volleyball club qualified for the quarterfinals of the Champions League after scoring a 3:0 win (25:23, 25:16 and 25:19) in a home match against Poland’s “Viniary Kalisz” team on Tuesday. The Azerbaijani team beat the Polish club in the away match with the same score. “Azerrail”, which took the third place in Group D with 7 wins and 3 defeats, will play the “Cannes” club of France in the quarterfinal.*... читать

Azerbaijan faced 0:1 and 0:2 defeats by Trinidad and Tobago in the away friendly matches held on January 21 and 23, a source from the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) told AssA-Irada. The Azerbaijani team will hold another friendly match with Moldova in Baku on February 9. Azerbaijan have played four matches within the 2006 World Cup qualifying so far, losing to Austria (0:2) and England (0:1), while drawing Wales (1:1) and Northern Ireland (0:0).*... читать

Baku’s Neftchi football team lost to Russian champion “Locomotive” 1:2 in the final of the 13th Commonwealth Cup on Sunday. According to the new regulations, the champions of Russia and Ukraine started the tournament in the semifinals, while teams from other CIS states had to play within their groups first. Along with “Neftchi”, Lithuania’s “Kaunas” proceeded to the semifinals. In the semifinals, “Neftchi” scored a 2:1 victory against Ukraine’s “Dinamo Kiev”, while “Locomotive” beat Kaunas 2...... полностью

Azerbaijan’s last champion, Neftchi football club sealed a 2:0 win over Armenian champion Punik in the ј finals of the Commonwealth Cup tournament on Wednesday. The goals were scored by Georgian legionnaire Georgi Adamiya and Vidadi Rzayev in the second halftime. The Azeri team will face Ukraine’s “Dinamo Kiev” in the semifinals. Earlier “Neftchi” had 1:0 and 4:1 wins over Moldova’s Sherif and Turkmenistan’s Nebitchi respectively in the group.*... читать

Azerbaijan’s last champion, Neftchi football club, will face Armenia’s Punik in the ¼ finals of the Commonwealth Cup tournament on Wednesday. The Armenian team qualified for the quarterfinals after drawing Latvia’s Skonto - 2:2. Neftchi had 1:0 and 4:1 wins over Moldova’s Sherif and Turkmenistan’s Nebitchi respectively in the Commonwealth Cup tournament.*... читать

Azerbaijan’s national football team left for Central America on Monday to play two friendly matches with Trinidad and Tobago on January 21 and 23. The team’s Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Torres, who is currently in his home country, will join the team in Trinidad and Tobago, the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) told AssA-Irada. Azerbaijan will also play a friendly match with Moldova in Baku on February 9 as part of preparations for the 2006 World Cup qualifying. Azerba...... полностью

Azerbaijan’s “Azerrail” women’s volleyball team got another victory in the Champions League qualifying, as it won a home match against the “Besiktas” club of Turkey on Tuesday - 3:2. “Azerrail” had a 3:0 win over the “Srvena Zvezda” club of Serbia and Montenegro in a home match on January 5. The Azerbaijani team will play the next qualifying match against the “Tenerife” club of Spain.... читать

Azerrail women’s volleyball team competing in the Champions League scored a 3:0 victory over the “Srvena Zvezda” team of Serbia and Montenegro, an outsider in the group, in a match played in Baku on Wednesday. In the away match, Azerrail defeated their opponents with the same score. The Azeri team will play its next game in the group with Turkey’s Besiktas in Baku on January 11.... читать

Azerbaijan will play a friendly match with Moldova in Baku on February 9 as part of preparations for the 2006 World Cup qualifying. The Azerbaijani team faced a 1:2 defeat by Moldova in a friendly match held in Kishinyov early in 2004. Azerbaijan’s national team will start general training for the upcoming match early in February, the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) told AssA-Irada. Prior to the Baku match, the Azerbaijani team will leave for Central America on Januar...... полностью