Nurullayeva, who heads the international relations department at Azerbaijan’s National Olympic Committee and the national athletics association, is secretary general of a number of national winter sports federations. According to the Associated Press, she said her aim would be “to bring the joys and passions of the world’s greatest sporting event to the Caucasus for the first time”. She is fluent in English, French, Russian and Turkish as well as Azeri.

Azerbaijan’s Minister for Youth and Sport, Azad Rahimov, hailed Nurullayeva as a “great example and inspiration to the young people of Azerbaijan”. Earlier this month, Baku 2020 appointed the pmplegacy, Burson-Marsteller and Adore Creative agencies to assist the bid team’s efforts. Chime Communications-owned pmplegacy will be the lead strategic and technical adviser to the bid, responsible for brand positioning, narrative and messaging as well as the development of the applicant and candidature files.

Burson-Marsteller will provide strategic communications counsel as well as media relations and PR services while Adore Creative will be responsible for producing the bid films, new media and advertising campaign. Baku is up against Doha, Istanbul, Madrid, Rome and Tokyo in the tender for the 2020 Olympics hosting rights. The International Olympic Committee will select the host city in September 2013.