体坛英语新闻：2015 European Games unveil official mascots

BAKU, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- The 2015 European Games on Tuesday unveiled Jeyran (gazelle) and Nar (pomegranate) as the official mascots for the inaugural sporting event.

Inspired by Azerbaijani nature heritage, the pair will symbolize the first European Games around the world as they feature on branding to promote the game.

"We are extremely happy to introduce Jeyran and Nar to the world, and we hope that they will come to represent the excitement of the inaugural European Games," said Azad Rahimov, Azerbaijan's Minister of Youth and Sports.

"Our mascots are important symbols of the inaugural European Games and we are delighted to be welcoming them to the European Game family," Chief Operating Officer Simon Clegg said.

There will be a total of 20 sports at the first European Games from June 12 to 28,2015, including 16 Olympic sports and four non-Olympic sports. More than 6,000 athletes from across Europe will be representing their nations over 17 days of competition.