In the Azerbaijani city of Ganja, the official opening ceremony of the third CIS Games took place, attended by President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva.
The event was used by Baku not only for sporting purposes but also for political messaging. The theatrical program included anti-Armenian elements, Factor.am reported.
According to Azerbaijani media, part of the show was dedicated to the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war and Azerbaijan’s victory. It featured the “Iron Fist” monument symbolizing Aliyev’s “fist,” along with the number “44” as a reference to the war’s outcome.
Delegations from Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan participated in the CIS Games, along with athletes from Turkey, Pakistan, Oman, Cuba, and Kuwait.
Although Armenia is a CIS member, it did not join the event.
