Baku 2015 European Games Logo Unveiled

Azerbaijan’s Minister of Youth and Sport, Azad Rahimov, has unveiled the logo for the first European Games, which will be held in June 2015 in Azerbaijan’s capital city, Baku.

The sporting tournament will see more than 5,400 athletes from all of the 49 Olympic nations of Europe compete in 18 sports.

The logo was officially launched at the at the 42nd European Olympic Committees’ (EOC) General Assembly in Rome, Italy.

Conceived by 35 year-old Azerbaijani Adam Yunisov, the design incorporates five core elements that have shaped the host country’s historical and contemporary culture and aspirations, including Flame, Water, the mythical Simurgh bird, Carpet and Pomegranate.

Yunisov’s logo design, which followed an open public competition, claims to depict the nation’s natural beauty, culture and heritage, and the city of Baku, currently one of Europe’s fastest-growing economies and cities.

In a further related development, Spanish soccer club Atlético Madrid unveiled a new strip featuring the official logo. The new-look kit is a part of the strategic sponsorship that the Copa Del Rey holders signed with Azerbaijan last year.

Players including David Villa, Diego Costa and Arda Turan, had the Baku 2015 logo printed across their chests for this past weekend’s home match against Getafe CF at the Vicente Calderón Stadium.

The team will wear the logo as part of the current deal which has seen Atlético’s shirts emblazoned with the words ‘Azerbaijan Land of Fire’, the country’s tourism motto, in order to promote the brand of Azerbaijan on a global level.