A total of 1.5 million people in Azerbaijan are interested in purchasing tickets for next year's inaugural European Games, it was claimed today.  

The figure was revealed in an independent survey which also found more than six out of 10 people there believe the event will help establish their country on the international stage.

According to the poll, 62 per cent of the population believe the Games, which is set to feature more than 6,000 athletes from 49 countries, is more than just a sporting event, and will turn out to be a worthy investment assisting Azerbaijan's future development.

The survey, conducted by Rey Monitoring Center, who regularly carry out polls for the Azerbaijan Government, also found that 67 per cent of the population will watch coverage of the Games on television, with more than 50 per cent of the population following news around the event in the lead-up to it.

The nationwide assessment of public opinion was conducted from June 14 until 16 shortly after The One Year to Go celebrations through an omnibus survey consisting of 1,200 respondents all aged 18 or above.

According to the results, approximately 1.5 million people across the whole of Azerbaijan will be interested in purchasing tickets for the Games, due to run next year from June 12 until 28. 

Baku 2015 has yet to reveal details of the ticketing programme but with Azerbaijan difficult to enter without a visa it will boost hopes that the Games will still be well supported. 

Bakudaily.az