Azerbaijan’s first female master of sports, Honored Artist and announcer Zuleykha Haciyeva has passed away.

Axar.az reports that this was announced by Rovshan Mammadov, chairman of Azerbaijan Television and Radio Broadcasting CJSC.

“A 103-year life, decades of service to Azerbaijani radio, and a unique voice remembered by millions of listeners... May she rest in peace,” he said.

It should be noted that Zuleykha Haciyeva was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR in 1979. Alongside her work as an announcer on Azerbaijani television, she was also known as a master of sports during the Soviet period.

In 1941, she became a USSR master of sports and was a seven-time Azerbaijani gymnastics champion from 1941 to 1948. From 1942 to 1992, she worked as an announcer for Azerbaijani radio and was remembered as the host of numerous programs, including “Morning Gymnastics,” “Poetry Minutes,” and “Good Evening.”

In 2002, she was awarded a personal presidential pension by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.