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MY BEACH SOCCER 
Beach Soccer Worldwide and BEGOC and the AFFA held a meeting and assured everything is on the right track
The first ever European Games will be played in Baku in June 2015 and all of the action and excitement that is beach soccer will be at the heart of the activities. Last Friday, the Baku European Games Operation Committee (BEGOC) organized this very important meeting with Beach Soccer Worldwide to assure that all works and procedures are well on the right track.
At the Baku 2015 headquarters the sides discussed logistics and the organizing of such a grand spectacle on this monumental scale. The Beach Soccer Worldwide organizing team along with Joan Cusco (BSWW Executive Vice-President), and Gabino Renales (Deputy Vice-President) were in attendance and shared with the BEGOC structure their valuable input and expertise for structuring the sport within the Games. From the Baku 2015 Organizing Committee, Pierce O´Callahan (Director of Sport), Karl Reader (Head of Sport Competition) and Matthew Kidson (Sport Cluster Competition Manager), presented the current status of everything around Beach Soccer in the games, and the how healthy and strong the facilities and competitions are growing.
Farid Novruzi (President of Azerbaijan Beach Soccer Association), and Farid Akhundov (Vice-President of Azerbaijan Beach Soccer Association) took part in the meeting, too, as the Beach Soccer arm in Azerbaijan. The very constructive talks also included representatives from construction and operations along with IT, to make sure the implementation of all facets of the games goes smoothly.
The common objective was set clear, an idea also shared by the Azerbaijan’s Minister of Youth and Sport, Azad Rahimov: making Beach Soccer one of the most successful, attractive and impacting sports in the whole European Games. And things are progressing in the right way to make this happen.
Beach soccer is already such and emotionally charged and high-stakes sport, but you could taste the excitement this year as the determining factor in playing in the European Games Baku 2015 was a nation’s finishing spot after the Promotion and Superfinal in the highly esteemed Euro Beach Soccer League. The pressure mounted all season and in the end, the eight teams to qualify, top six in Division A, the top side in Division B, and hosts Azerbaijan, are as follows: Russia, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Italy, Ukraine from Division A, and Hungary and Azerbaijan are the Division B representatives.
The quality of the teams is undeniable, the venue is awe-inspiringly beautiful, and after this convening, the path to a successful event is crystal clear. More assembling will follow as the games draw closer, but for now, the diligent efforts and hard work is beginning to show as the groundwork has been laid for the European Games Baku 2015.
