F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: A delegation of the Sports Writers Association (SWA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa paid a visit to different media houses, sports academies, Olympic Stadium and various historical places in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan.
During the visit, the delegation headed by the Secretary Sports Writers Association, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shahid Afridi, was informed about digital sports journalism, various sports and historical places, a news release said.
The delegation is currently on a week-long visit to Baku, Azerbaijan attending a Digital Media Course organized jointly by Azerbaijan Sports Journalism Association and Sports Writers Association, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The delegation was briefed about the facilities of the Digital Media Network in various sections besides being taught in educational institutions to meet the present-day challenges of the Digital World besides equipping the upcoming journalists according to the need.
The delegates visited different sections of the institution and the news director of the news agency Fawad Hassan Ali gave them a briefing about journalism and the relations between the two countries Pakistan and Azerbaijan.
Later, the delegation also visited the modern-day Martial Arts Academy managed by the Azerbaijan Sports Journalists Association. The delegation was told about the international standing coaching and training facilities in order to develop the visit in Martial Arts so that they could be able to compete at the national and international levels. In the second phase of the training session, the delegation also visited the Baku Olympic Stadium. Many international football matches have been held in this stadium. This stadium has also hosted famous football players.
Later, the delegation of sports journalists went to the indoor gymnasium where Baku’s top-ranked basketball, boxing and judo players were practising. During this time, the manager gave a detailed briefing about the practice and the players in order to understand his responsibilities to the sports journalists.
Located in Asia, Azerbaijan is bordered by four countries – Russia, Georgia, Armenia and Iran. The east of the country is bordered by the Caspian Sea. Swans, flamingos and pelicans all flock to this region. Much of the north and west is covered by the Caucasus Mountains, where roe deer, brown bears and lynx thrive.
Sport in Azerbaijan has ancient roots, and even now, both traditional and modern sports are still practised. Freestyle wrestling has been traditionally regarded as Azerbaijan’s national sport, however today, the most popular sports in Azerbaijan are football and chess. Other popular sports are gymnastics, judo, futsal, weightlifting, and boxing.
Azerbaijan’s mountainous terrain provides great opportunities for the practice of sports like skiing and rock climbing. Water sports are practised on the Caspian Sea and in inland waters. Competitively, Azerbaijan has been very successful at chess, weightlifting, and wrestling at the international level.
Azerbaijan is also an active member of the International Sports Community, with full membership in the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), European Athletics Association (EAA), International Olympic Committee (IOC), among many others.
It has also hosted the first European Games and the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games. Azerbaijan is one of the leading volleyball countries in the world and its Azerbaijan Women’s Volleyball Super League is one of the strongest women’s leagues in the world. Its women’s national team placed fourth at the 2005 European Championship. (APP)
