The opening ceremony of the Rhythmic Gymnastics European Cup has taken place in Baku.

Offsideplus.az reports, citing the official information, that the event organized at the National Gymnastics Arena began with the parade of flags of the participating nations.

Following the parade, the Minister of Youth and Sports and President of European Gymnastics, Farid Gayibov, delivered an opening speech, welcoming the guests and wishing success to the participants:

"Welcome to another celebration of sport. Sport has been developing rapidly in our country in recent years. This week alone, Azerbaijan is hosting three international tournaments, all of which are traditional competitions. Such events are vital for the promotion of sports. In Azerbaijan, sports are a matter of state policy, and the Head of State pays special attention to this field. World and European Cups, as well as other tournaments, are organized annually at the National Gymnastics Arena. The Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation is doing a magnificent job, and there are significant results in both European and World Championships."

The ceremony continued with an artistic performance following the playing of the National Anthem of Azerbaijan.

It is worth noting that the European Cup, which started today, will conclude on May 3. Throughout the tournament, athletes will showcase their skills in both group and individual programs. Along with representatives from Azerbaijan, athletes from 30 countries and neutral status competitors are participating in the event.