Olympic shine and poverty

The 31^st Summer Olympic Games in 2016 completed, and assessing their results, we can conclude that the sports policy of the Azerbaijani authorities is erroneous. 

From Azerbaijan at the Olympic Games participated 56 athletes in 17 sports; 33 of the 56 athletes were legionaries from different countries invited for a decent fee. It was hardly possible to find a second team among the Olympics teams in which more than 62% were legionaries.  The international combined team that participated under the flag of Azerbaijan won 18 medals, and ranked the 39^th at the Olympic Games.

Only one gold medal won Viledinovich Radik Isayev, a native of Dagestan, and a citizen of Russia. This Russian sports master, represented at several international competitions Russia. However, since 2012 he performs as part of the team of Azerbaijan. In any case, we congratulate Radik with this important victory.

Four of seven silver medals at the Olympic Games belong to the legionnaires. They are the Ukrainian Valentin Demyanenko and Maria Stadnyuk, Cuban Collazo Sotomayo, Russian Heteg Gazyumov. From 10 bronze medals won by Azerbaijan won five legionaries. Two of them were Ukrainians (Irina Osipenko-Radom and Natalia Sinishin), two Iranians (Milad Beigi Harchegani and Sabah Shariati), and Russia's Patimat Abakarova.

That is, local sportsmen won only eight medals. However, the number of foreign players in the team of Azerbaijan does not stop winning medals. Of 33foreign players only 33 were able to win a medal. Of the 23 local athletes medals won only 30%.

Now let’s compare the game of Azerbaijani athletes at the Summer Olympics with performance of athletes from neighboring countries. Neighboring Georgia, which, in comparison with Azerbaijan suffered miserable expenses, participated at the Olympic Games with the national team. From 40-athletes of the Georgian team there were only 2 Legionnaires (the Dutch Esther strains and Belarusian Anastacia Hotfrid.) Georgia ranked the 38^th at the Olympic Games, a step above Azerbaijan. Georgians won 2 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze medal. Gold medals were won Lasha Talakhadze and Vladimer Khinchegashvili, silver - Varlam Liparteliani, bronze - Irakli Turmanidze, Geno Petriashvili, Lasha Shavdatushvili and Shmaga Bolkvadze. All medalists are the Georgians. This is a very important indicator showing the development of mass sports in Georgia. It is necessary to take into account the fact that the official Azerbaijan sport budget by several times is larger than the sports budget of Georgia.

A similar process is observed in Armenia.  The results of Armenia in comparison with Azerbaijan and Georgia are somewhat lower. However, Armenia participated in the Olympics with the national team. Of the 32 athletes, only one is from Russia - George Ketoev. All, medals without exception won the Armenian athletes. Arthur Alexanyan – gold medal, and Simon Martirosyan, Mihran Harutyunyan, Gore Minosyan – silver medals. The Armenian   ranked the 42 place in the framework of the competition. And this despite the fact that the formal and informal sports budget of Azerbaijan is incomparably higher than Armenia's sports budget and its Olympic expenses.

Compared with the South Caucasian neighbors and with Central Asian Uzbekistan, the situation is more dismal. Uzbekistan,  which is far from the "extreme sports care" and the desire to become a sports power on the  results of the 31^st  Summer Olympic Games  ranked  22nd. The athletes of this country won 4 gold, 2 silver, and seven bronze medals. With the exception of a guest from Russia, Magomed Ibrahimov, who won a bronze medal, all other medalists - Uzbeks. Gold medalists - Shahobiddin Zoyirov, Hasanboy Dusmatov, Fazliddin Gaibnazarov Ruslan Nuriddinov. Silver medalists - Bektemir Melikuziev, Shahram Giyasov. Bronze medalists - Murodchan Ahmadaliev, Rustam Tulyaganov, and Diyorbek Uruzboev, Rishad Sobirov, Elmurat Tashmuradov, and  Magomed Ibrahimov. This is an indicator of development of sports in Uzbekistan on a national basis, which is ahead of Azerbaijan, with its astronomical official and unofficial costs by 17 degrees.

All this proves incorrect sports policy of Azerbaijan, because we all know that in Azerbaijan  spends on  sport more money than on education, health and culture. The agreements signed with invited foreign athletes are considered a trade secret, but it is quite clear that all 33 Legionnaires participate for   Azerbaijan not because of a great love for this country.  It is possible to invite  foreign athletes to participate at various competitions, but it does not mean that  under the flag of Azerbaijan should participate more than 62% of foreign players. No one can argue that Valentine Demyanenko, Maria Stadnik, Irina Osipenko-Radom, Natalia Sinishin, Collazo Sotomayo, Milad Beigini and others experienced a special feeling of national pride for the medals won in honor of Azerbaijan. There is no doubt that the formation of 62% of the team at the expense of foreign competitors is a factor, negatively affecting the development of sports in the country. These medals are not indicators of the development of sport, but the pernicious influence of petrodollars on the sport.

In addition to official funds allocated to sport, each minister assigned to cover a particular sport. It causes uncontrolled flow in of corrupt money, what gives rise to corrupt the sport first, and then its criminalization. In addition to the mentioned sources, Olympics medalists and their coaches got prize in the amount of 4.2 million manat, which is the highest prize money in the world, selected by the state line. Whereas the families of Karabakh martyrs who sacrificed their lives for their country have not been  paid yet the required funds for several years, due to financial difficulties.