Azerbaijani weightlifters who refused to participate in the European Championship left Armenia

Team weightlifters Azerbaijan who refused to participate in the European Championships in Yerevan after the incident with the national flag during the opening ceremony of the tournament, left Armenia, reports Sputnik Armenia.

On Friday, media reported that during the parade of flags of participating countries during the opening ceremony of the tournament, a fan snatched the flag of Azerbaijan from the flag bearer, set it on fire and took it outside. of the room. The assailant was arrested at the scene, but later released by the police. On Saturday it became known that the Azerbaijani national team decided to refuse to participate in the tournament.

“Azerbaijani athletes have already crossed the border into Armenia,” said Armenian Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Karen Giloyan.

– Finally, the Azerbaijani delegation returns safely to its homeland. The Azerbaijani weightlifting team left Armenia by bus and entered Georgia. The plane, which will carry the Azerbaijani team from Tbilisi to Baku, will land at 9:20 p.m. today,” Gabil Mehdiyev, head of the press service of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan, told the agency. APA press.

Earlier, Azerbaijan’s Youth and Sports Minister Farid Gaipov reported that Azerbaijani athletes were locked in a hotel for security reasons.

The European Weightlifting Championship is taking place in the capital of Armenia from April 15 to 23.