With the financial support of the State Support Agency for Non-Governmental Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, a large-scale event and a football match were organized at the sports field of the “AzFar” football club, which operates at secondary school No. 74 in Bakikhanov settlement of Sabunchu district, Baku, within the framework of the “Sport against drugs: choose a healthy life!” project implemented by the “Aktor” Public Union for Public and Social Research.
Opening the event, the project manager Telman Mammadov stated that the goal of the project is to mobilize citizens against drugs, inform the public about their consequences, fight against their causes, and contribute to the formation of a healthy society through a continuous and systematic approach. He noted that the fight against drug addiction is not only the task and responsibility of law enforcement agencies, but of the entire society. In this regard, the promotion of sports, the effective organization of young people’s leisure time, and the holding of awareness-raising events are of particular importance.
According to him, the project’s target is to promote a healthy lifestyle among teenagers and young people, highlight the role of sports in our lives, increase public awareness about the consequences of drug addiction, keep young people away from harmful habits, and guide them towards a healthy future.
It should be noted that representatives of state and public institutions, members of parliament, psychologists, representatives of the sports community, teachers, students, and young people participated in the event.
Members of parliament representing Sabunchu district, Fazil Mustafa, Arzuxan Alizade, and Azer Allahveranov, spoke and emphasized the importance of projects implemented in the direction of promoting a healthy lifestyle. They noted that the joint activity of family, school, state institutions, and civil society institutes plays an important role in the fight against drug addiction. The speeches stated that involving young people in sports makes a significant contribution to their physical and moral development, and to the formation of a sound-minded and patriotic young generation. The members of the Milli Majlis pointed out that the fight against drugs is a war. The members of parliament called on the participants of the event to share widely about the mentioned event on social networks, reminding that every initiative will have a positive impact on solving the problem.
Farzali Seyidov, a representative of secondary school No. 74 who participated in the event, spoke about the work done in the direction of promoting a healthy lifestyle in schools and provided information about the measures taken to increase students’ interest in sports.
In their speeches, psychologists Gunay Huseynli and Nahida Akhundova discussed the psychological and social causes of drug addiction, ways to prevent teenagers from falling into risk groups, and the importance of family relationships and proper psychological support. Answering the participants’ questions, they pointed out that awareness-raising is one of the main tools in the prevention of drug addiction.
Surayya Mammadova, chairwoman of the “Aktor” Public Union for Public and Social Research, emphasized the importance of the project for society in her speech and stated that it is very important for such initiatives to be continuous in the direction of young people growing up healthy and staying away from harmful habits. She expressed her confidence that the state support shown to the project and the cooperation of partner organizations will yield important results in this direction.
Amrah Samadov, a branch representative of the “AzFar” Group company, and Kamran Bayramov, manager of the European Football Academy, noted in their speeches that sports play an important role in the healthy development of young people, the formation of team spirit, and the choice of a lifestyle free from harmful habits. They stated that sports serve not only physical health but also the development of discipline, responsibility, and social skills.
After the official speeches, a symbolic football match was held among the event participants in accordance with the project’s idea. The competition was met with great interest and high sportsmanship by the young people. The participants competed in teams and demonstrated an example of healthy competition and solidarity.
At the end of the competition, the winning team and active participants in the final were awarded certificates by the organizers. During the presentation of the certificates, it was emphasized that the main goal of the project was not so much to determine a winner as to encourage young people to adopt a healthy lifestyle and increase their interest in sports.
All participants at the event showed unity and waved a banner reflecting the slogan “Let’s say ‘No!’ to drugs!”. This symbolic action expressed the solidarity of society in the fight against drug addiction, support for a healthy lifestyle, and the importance of the future of young people being free from drugs. The event ended with the taking of commemorative photos.
It should be noted that the duration of the project, which is financed by the State Support Agency for Non-Governmental Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, is three months. During this period, four awareness-raising programs on internet television and events in Sabunchu and Ganja cities are planned. For more information, visit “Elchi”.
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