Journey from the Caspian reaches Guba

Baku 2017 national journey that started at the shore of Caspian sea came to Guba yesterday.

This tour will cover 15 regions of the country and bring the spirit of sporting celebration along with solidarity and joy to the people of Azerbaijan.

To mark this remarkable day, the first event was held in the morning hours around Afurja waterfall. There are a lot of waterfalls in Azerbaijan and each of them is unique in terms of height, flow and environment. Afurja waterfall is one of the famous waterfalls in the country, located in the southern part of Guba. It is considered one of the most beautiful natural wonders.

Amateur chess player Gunel Gonagova, National Weightlifting Champion Famil Mikayilov and Bronze Medalist of the World Kickboxing Championship Farid Hamzayev filled the vessel with the water from the waterfall. The vessel was later presented during the evening Water Festival. The vessel which started its journey from Baku will be a part of the Opening Ceremony at Baku Olympic Stadium on May 12.

Then at noon, “Sport Joys - Regional Sport Event” took place in Guba Olympic Sports Complex within Domestic Grassroots Program. Various sporting competitions were organized to promote Baku 2017 4th Islamic Solidarity Games and encourage youth to go in for sports. Rafael Isgandarov, Joshgun Rahimov and Mushfig Abbasov - Celebrity Ambassadors of Baku 2017 Games known for their comedy show “Bu Sheherde” were among the guests of the event. On behalf of Celebrity Ambassadors Haji Nuran spoke about projects that took place within the Grassroots Program and future plans.

The celebration continued with the evening Water Festival at the Central Square. Residents of the region, who had free access to the event, enjoyed performances of Mirvari dance group, Sharg Injileri dance group, Sevil Rajabova and Ibrahim Gubaly, remarkable water effects and fireworks.

The footage from the Launching Ceremony of “the Journey from the Caspian” with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev presenting the vessel to Guba resident on April 5 was also shown during the festival.

Speaking about the significance of the Journey, the National Heavy Weightlifting Champion Famil Mikailov said: "We welcome everybody at the astonishing sporting event to be hosted in our capital city. Do not miss the chance to watch over 190 sport sessions and support our national team!"

Another destination of the Journey from the Caspian, which is expected to cover the whole territory of Azerbaijan, will be Garadagh on May 3. The Journey from the Caspian will cover 15 regions, over 3000 km and will last 37 days.