Simon Clegg (pictured top), former chief executive of the British Olympic Association (BOA), has been named as senior European Games consultant, while Makis Asimakopoulos, former head of sport at the 2004 Olympics and the 2011 Special Olympics, becomes sports consultant.

Patrick Hickey, EOC President, said he was delighted to have secured the services of "two such experienced and respected international sports professionals" who would "make a major contribution to the success of our inaugural event whilst helping to build the brand for future editions".

Clegg - whose involvement with the Madrid 2020 Olympic and Paralympic bid has coincided with an upturn in its fortunes and who was recently named chairman of Great Britain Badminton - said he looked forward to working with the Organising Committee in Baku and with Azerbaijan' Azad Rahimov, minister for youth and sport, to "contribute to a memorable event for all 7,000 participants".

Asimakopoulos said he looked forward to working with the Organising Committee's sports department and the 18 European sports federations to "help deliver the highest level of competition possible in 2015".

The first European Games are scheduled to be held in Baku between 12 and 28 June, 2015.

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