The 2015 European Games, the first of their kind, begin this Friday, June 12, in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. They will open in the early evening at the new Olympic stadium with an opening ceremony that the organizers promise will be grandiose. It should be.
With this first edition of the Games, European sports take their place in an international sports calendar where it had been notably absent. Africa had its African Games, Asia its Asian Games, the Americas its Pan American Games. Europe, nothing. A gap now filled.
Did the continent really need such a gathering of disciplines and athletes? The future will tell.
This first edition was awarded to Azerbaijan in December 2012, less than three years before its kickoff. The country prepared it hastily, like a sprint, but spared no expense. In Baku, everything has been ready for a long time. The facilities, often impressive, smell of freshness. National mobilization is undeniable. The details are taken care of.
The event will be broadcast worldwide, even to China and Africa. Astonishing.
Pierce OโCallaghan, the sports director of Baku 2015, explained: โThe athletes want to make history. By winning in Baku, they will inscribe their names on the first line of the record.โ
Another proof that European sport has a rendez-vous with History, from June 12 to 28 in Baku.
