Present Days

      18 Champions of the World, 16 - Champions of Europe, more than 50 silver and bronze prize-winners of the world and Europe championships.
      Fizuli Musayev, Movlud Miraliyev, Shakhmyraz Gasimov, Khakim Nazaraliyev, Rufat Agayev, Gurban Tagiyev, Rza Khalilov, Ilakha Gadimova - this is an incomplete list of those who with advantage represented and represents the country and native city in competitions of the world level.
      According to the Ganja branch of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan there are 7 sports societies, 6 sport schools, 4 sportclubs and 4 football stadiums functioning in the city. The sport societies of the city are "Dinamo", "Makhsul", "Spartak", "Locomotive", "Zenith", "Student" and Centre Education and Sports.
      At the present in the field of sports there 545 workers from which 240 trainers work with more than 15000 men. Such number of youth and children are engaged in sport clubs of city. Most popular of them are struggle (free and classical), sambo, dzudo, karate-do, aikido, hand-to-hand fight, djiu-djitsu, kickboxing, navigation, light athletics and others.
      More than thirty honoured trainers are involved in work with youth Republics, 18 honourable workers of sports and physical culture, 6 foremen of sports of the international class. There are about 30 foremen of sports and more than 200 candidates in the foreman of sports in the city.
      Probably it would be unfair not to note the trainers having brought up not one generation of famous sportsmen. They are Elchin Zeynalov - free struggle, Zabil Abbasov - dzu-do, Aziz Azizov - karate-do, Ashraf Mekhtiyev - chess, Ilgar Aliyev - kickboxing.
      The city football team - "Kapaz" played successfully in the second league of a championship USSR. Especially it showed excellent game in 1986, having won first place in zone also has reached up to quarter final of the USSR cup, having conceded in to persistent struggle to the double owner of the Cup - team "Dinamo" (Kiev).
      For the last years of independence our team have become the champion of republic three times and won the Cup of the country four times. The first goal of independent Azerbaijan in European Cup was made by the player of "Kapaz" team Y. Suleymanov. The players of "Kapaz" V.Rzayev, KH.Mardanov, F.Djabbarov, M.Kurbanov, V.Lichkin successfully played in the national team during different years. In the Commonwealth (CIS) cup our team was the first among Azerbaijan teams that passed in the next circle of these competitions. Another Ganjali- Veli Kasumov successfully played in the championship of Russia as forwarder, after that was invited in Spanish "Seville", and then in Portuguese "Setubal". Now he successfully played in Portugal for the team "Imortal".

      The number of well equipped sport halls for singlefighting increased in the city. One of such halls is the hall of aikido - cultural centre "Metallurg" covered with high quality japanese tatami. These tatami and ten very qualitative kimono were gratuitously submitted to the complex by Ganja branch of the ministry of youth and sports. In this hall the seminars on east kinds of fightings will be held by the foremen and involving huge number of young people.

      We are sure, that the successes of our sportsmen do not carry temporary character and after them there is a generation of the sportsmen, which will again and again lift the flag of the country and due to which hymn of Azerbaijan will reach with highest pedestals. And we hope, that the state will render appropriate support to our sportsmen, thus encouraging the further successes and development. A man who should earn money for his family, can not devote itself to sports, which demands absolute feedback.
      Except for the centres of physical culture and sports there are also the oldest centers of culture functioning in the city, such as Ganja state Drama theatre named after Jafar Jabbarli - well known playwrighter of Azerbaijan, Ganja State Philarmonic society named after Fikret Amirov, Theatre of poetry "Zarrabi", Ganja state Doll theatre.
      5 Musical schools, Children's School of Art, Art school, Art Gallery, 5 museums, 3 houses of culture, 6 clubs, House of Music, 27 libraries also function in the city. Except for the mentioned schools and centres which are on the state grant, there are also self-supporting enterprises, such as a Bureau of the orchestral Players, Centre of free time, 3 rest parks, centre of applied and decorative art, Choreographic ensemble "Gulshan" and ensemble " Ulu Ganja ". There are up to 1300 men working in the sphere of education .
      Among the art persons it would be desirable to note such people as honoured actors of republic the late Zulfugar Barat-zade and Mamed Burdjaliyev, Alladdin Abbasov and Saday Mustafayef. The singer Shahnaz Khashimova also is awarded with the rank of National Artist of Azerbaijan. Now there 8 honourable actors and 49 honourable workers of culture working in the city.