February 28 – Baku, Azerbaijan, is to host a 16-team World Military Cup, July 2-14, 2013. The agreement to host was signed between Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry and the International Military Sports Council (CISM) for the organization of the 1st CISM World Football Trophy 2013.
The draw will take place on April 29 and is expected to be attended by 16 teams, which are: Brazil, USA, Canada, Algeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mali, Germany, France, Oman, Iraq, Bahrain, Qatar and Azerbaijan. The final qualifiers will be the winners of the Holland-Cyprus match.
About 500 sportsmen and 100 delegations are expected to participate. The matches will be held in Shafa, Dalga, Bayil and Zira stadiums.
Azerbaijan has hosted several CISM events, having been a member of the CISM council since 1995.
CISM president, Colonel Hamad Kalkaba Malboum said that the competition had been planned for two years ago: “Our trophies bring together thousands of servicemen and aim to establish friendship. We are soldiers, who protect the peace. The soldiers can show themselves through sports. Azerbaijan’s assistance in organizing this trophy shows that it is a peace-loving country. Together with our thousands of sportsmen we will attend competitions here in the future.”
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