Human rights record not overshadowing European Games

Azerbaijan's record on human rights is not overshadowing the build-up to the inaugural European Games being hosted by Baku in June, claimed its chief operating officer Simon Clegg.

The 55-year-old Englishman -- who played a leading role in London's successful bid to host the 2012 Olympics -- added those sort of questions should be addressed to the politicians.

His comments, coming with 50 days to go to the opening ceremony of the Games that run from June 12-28, come in the light of increasing concerns over the Azerbaijan government's human rights record.

A withering editorial in the Washington Post last week titled 'The country that diminishes the Olympic Flame' opined the regime of President Ilham Aliyev fell well short of what was demanded in the Olympic Charter -- with regard to 'the preservation of human dignity' -- and demanded this be highlighted before, during and after the Games.

"I don't think it (human rights) is overshadowing the European Games," Clegg told journalists in a conference call.

"I recognise that there are some questions being asked. Those political questions need to be put to politicians.

"All I can do, particularly with 50 days to go till the opening ceremony, is focus on the massive challenge that I've got ahead of me of delivering the first ever European Games for the best athletes in Europe.

"I'm not going to get dragged into areas of activities which obviously fall totally outside my scope of responsibility. I have more than enough on my plate to deal with."

Clegg, who was previously chief executive of English football club Ipswich Town from 2009 to 2013, said the major challenge facing him and his team to be ready was out of his control as they prepare to welcome 6,000 athletes competing in 20 sports.

"I have no influence over the biggest challenge, and that is time," he said.

"The reality is we have had less than two-and-a-half years to prepare when hosts of the Olympics have seven years.

"There is still a lot of installation of timing and scoring equipment to be done.

"This country doesn't have experience of organising events of this scale and it is beginning to dawn on some of those people who were on the periphery of the organisation how big this is."

Clegg was speaking on the day it was announced that a key deal with British broadcaster BT Sports had been secured, leaving just one notable European country, Russia, yet to sign a contract to televise the Games.

Ticket sales were moving in the right direction domestically, he added, but Clegg admitted foreign interest threatened to be limited.

"Being realistic I would see largely just friends and families of athletes competing coming, in the hope of seeing their loved ones being crowned the first European Games champion in their respective sport," said Clegg.

"There is limited hotel space inside Baku, 10,000 beds in terms of three, four and five star hotels and we've already reserved 6,500 of them."
Source: AFP