📩 23/09/2023 11:27
Ice Sports Hall in Bornova Aşık Veysel Recreation Area of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality opened its doors for the 2023-2024 season. The facility, which is open to Izmir residents of all ages in ice hockey and figure skating, also enables the training of many national athletes.
Aşık Veysel Ice Sports Hall, which was brought to the city by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, opened its doors for the 2023-2024 season. The facility, which hosts many national and international organizations, also continues to provide services in ice hockey and figure skating for Izmir residents of all ages. Children of Izmir are introduced to sports from an early age with the professional coaching staff within the Department of Youth and Sports Services of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality.
“The highest number of national athletes come from Izmir Metropolitan Municipality”
Turgay Bolday, Projects Technical Services Branch Manager of the Department of Youth and Sports Services, stated that according to last year's data, they hosted more than 100 thousand people of Izmir in the facility and said, “There are two separate branches in our facility. Figure skating and ice hockey. Our Izmir Metropolitan Municipality teams continue their Super League competitions. Additionally, many of our individual figure skating athletes continue to compete in national categories. "Currently, among the clubs in Turkey, the highest number of national athletes come from Izmir Metropolitan Municipality," he said.
“Anyone who wishes can ice skate”
Neşe Olcay Hünerli, who works as a trainer at the facility, said, “We have public sessions. Anyone who wishes can come in and ice skate. We have courses. We provide basic training. We are moving forward with children who are of appropriate age and can go to competitions among those who have completed basic education. There are female athletes here, they prefer figure skating. We also have synchronized branches for our male athletes. We do team sports. There is a branch of ice hockey that is mostly preferred by our male athletes. We also participate in federation activities in branches. "At the same time, since we say 'sports for everyone', we have special events on Thursdays for our disabled citizens," he said.
“Skates start at number 27”
Giving information about the ideal starting period for ice sports, Hünerli said, “Foot size is important before age. In our facility, skates start from size 27. It generally falls between the ages of 4 and a half and 5. We start with a child who skates size 4 between the ages of 5 and a half and continue until the age of 27. We have an ongoing project for primary and secondary school students. Schools make appointments for our weekday sessions. We offer them the opportunity to teach skating to their classes for free. We also have events on Wednesdays for universities. We have a free session at 77. All university students can benefit from here by showing their cards. On Friday evenings, we have a special ice skating learning event for women, which is in high demand. "Nearly 13.00 of our women learned to skate in a single session," he said.
Izmir has a big role in figure skating
Stating that their goal is to make young people love ice skating and to see them in the leagues, Hünerli continued his words as follows: “Our facility hosts international organizations. We received the white flag from the international ice hockey federation. The children who watched the world champions here started to arrive rapidly. We did projects with them. We had a sister club in Germany, we visited there, they came here. A beautiful friendship was established in the ice hockey community. I can also say that in figure skating; 25-30 of Turkey's 12-13 national athletes come from Izmir. This is a huge success for us. Our facility and our coaches have made great contributions. "We are trying to do our best to raise the children entrusted to our care to the best places and to make Izmir's name known in the best places," he said.
“I am happy here”
12-year-old Atlas Baydurak, a national athlete in the ice skating branch, stated that he started ice skating when he was 4 and a half years old and said, “I first started ice hockey. While we were playing ice hockey, Gamze Hodja came to one of our training sessions and tried to make us do a move. When I did this move well, he decided to switch me to figure skating. That's how I started and continued, it went well, I participated in competitions, came first, got into the national team. "I feel happy when I skate here," he said.
“It is a great chance that we can do this sport in Izmir.”
Ayşegül Metin, who works as a coach within the Department of Youth and Sports of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, stated that she has trained many athletes and said, “Atlas is one of them. When Atlas first came to us, he was an unruly child. For us, being unpredictable means being reckless. Our sport is a bit difficult and arduous. Atlas easily overcame these and reached these levels. It is a great chance that we can do this sport in Izmir. We thank Izmir Metropolitan Municipality for presenting this to us. We have an ice rink that withstands the heat of Izmir. We examine children in sessions and courses as much as possible. "We are meeting with the family if they have the capacity to do so," he said.
“I was taking stewardess training and I left it”
University student Deniz Diren Aydın stated that she started ice skating in January and said, “I had never thought of it, but it happened suddenly. I came once or twice, then I started coming every day. After 5 days, I wanted to buy my own skates and progress professionally. I worked for hours every day. A few months later I joined the team. I felt like this place gave me peace. I was taking stewardess training, but I left that. There have been many changes in my life. I'm here all day. We also take ballet and gymnastics training. A place where everyone can come. "Everyone should try it at least once," he said.