Azerbaijan Technological University (ATU), together with the Azerbaijan Basketball Federation (ABF) and “Rovshan Oguz Group” LLC, jointly organized the opening ceremony of the interuniversity basketball tournament dedicated to the 102nd anniversary of the national leader Heydar Aliyev.
The event was attended by ATU Rector Yashar Omarov, Deputy Head of Ganja City Executive Authority Adil Tagiyev, Chairman of the YAP Ganja City Organization Bayram Aslanov, Rector of Azerbaijan State Agrarian University Zafar Gurbanov, other institution heads, city residents, students, and athletes.
The opening ceremony began with the performance of the State Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan, followed by a moment of silence honoring the memory of Heydar Aliyev and the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Afterwards, a concert program was presented.
The tournament started with a draw. The two-day interuniversity basketball competition is officiated by referees and table officials licensed by the ABF referee board. The teams competing for the cup include Azerbaijan Technological University, Azerbaijan State Agrarian University, Ganja State University, and Mingachevir State University. The first match was held between the teams of ATU and Mingachevir State University, ending with a score of 119:37 in favor of ATU.
It is worth noting that this is the third consecutive year ATU has organized the interuniversity basketball tournament. The event aims to promote a healthy lifestyle among youth, increase interest in sports, strengthen cooperation among higher education institutions, provide effective leisure activities for students, and develop teamwork skills.
This initiative can be linked to SDG 3 (Health and Well-being) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), as well as SDG 4 (Quality Education). Sports competitions, in addition to promoting healthy lifestyles among young people, also serve to develop teamwork, discipline and social communication skills. The coming together of different universities on a sports platform strengthens institutional cooperation and student-to-student relationships. This supports the development of both physical and social well-being in an educational environment.
