The Press Service of Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation (AGF) presents an interview with the President of the Sierra Leone Gymnastics Federation - Anna Williams.
- Ms. Anna, welcome to Azerbaijan. As far as we know, this is your first visit to Baku. It is interesting to know your impressions about our country.
- Yes. This is my first visit to Baku (Azerbaijan). First of all, Azerbaijan made a good impression on me. The country and everything I see here is unique. Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation (AGF) is developing all gymnastics disciplines recognized by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG). The Federation has a successful activity. Even during the pandemic, the federation hosted a number of competitions by doing what other countries could not. In short, this work is appreciated.
- How did you choose “Milli Gimnastika Arenasi” (National Gymnastics Arena) for the training camp?
- We aimed to develop Gymnastics in our country. We met our friend, the Minister of Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan Farid Gayibov and the Deputy Minister Mariana Vasileva in Italy. We discussed this issue and they said they could help to develop our federation. Therefore, we are here today. They did what they promised.
- How many people do you have within your delegation?
- Our athletes are engaged in trainings in three disciplines here. These are Trampoline, Artistic and Rhythmic Gymnastics. Two of our gymnasts are training in Rhythmic Gymnastics, two in Artistic Gymnastics, and three of them in Trampoline Gymnastics. Our coaches, participating in the training camps, also benefit from the experience here. In the future, they will teach gymnasts how to train in our country.
- We would like to know your thoughts on Azerbaijani gymnasts
My thoughts are great. They train very hard. When I came here, I noticed that they were training till night. This is very impressive. You know, they train in the morning, then they rest a little bit, about 1-2 hours, and then they continue trainings again. They work very hard. This is really good for us, for our country. We have gained a great experience here. We will definitely apply it when we return to our country.
- Which is your main training program in your country?
- As I mentioned, our federation is new. We do our best to be successful. That is why, we are here today and participating in training camps. In future, we can take part in the Championships.
- You attended the 28th FIG Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships in Baku. Please, share your impressions about the competition with us.
- The competitions were great. We witnessed the skills of representatives of all the Federations that came here, difficulties and how they executed their program. We learned a lot. When we return to our country, we will know what we need to work on in order to participate in the competitions, especially in Acrobatic Gymnastics.
- Thank you very much.
- Thanks a lot.