Izmir Metropolitan Municipality celebrated the excitement of April 23 National Sovereignty and Children's Day with events spread throughout the week. One of the most colorful and energetic events of these meaningful celebrations was the Children and Sports Festival organized by the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Youth and Sports Services Department in cooperation with the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club. The events held simultaneously at Havuz Izmir facilities, Bornova Âşık Veysel Recreation Area and Kültürpark Celal Atik Sports Hall brought together the children of Izmir and their families in an unforgettable atmosphere where sports and entertainment come together.
A Meeting Full of Friendship and Competition from Little Swimmers
The first address of the Children and Sports Festival was the Buca Social Life Campus Pool and Pool Izmir facilities. The little swimmers who came together here experienced the excitement of competition and strengthened their bonds of friendship with each other in the competitions organized according to their age groups. The children, who demonstrated what they learned with the enthusiastic applause of their families, collected unforgettable memories in this meaningful event crowned with a medal ceremony. This meeting became a concrete example of the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality's vision to encourage young generations to do sports and provide them with a healthy future.
Sports and Entertainment Together in Bornova
Another center of the festival was Bornova Âşık Veysel Recreation Area. Various sports experience areas set up in front of the Ice Sports Hall echoed with children's laughter throughout the day. Children had the opportunity to experience different branches of sports in these areas, which were set up with the support of volunteer young people participating in Genç İzmir, one of the youth projects of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. In addition to sports, the little ones sang songs with karaoke and showed their creativity in face painting and storytelling workshops. While the children's run and folk dance shows left pleasant memories for all families attending the event, the magnificent gymnastics show of Göztepe Sports Club athletes fascinated the audience. Children, who also benefited from the ice rink free of charge throughout the day, enjoyed the fun to the fullest.
Emphasis on “Every Child Has the Right to Access Sports”
İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Youth and Sports Services Department Head Anıl Kaçar emphasized that the main purpose of the organization was the happiness of children and said, “While conveying the value and importance of April 23 National Sovereignty and Children's Day to our children, we also wanted to give them beautiful memories. We support our President Dr. Cemil Tugay's sensitivity to increasing access to sports for all children in the city and ensuring equal opportunities in this area as in every field with our work. Qualified and free access to sports is the fundamental right of every child. We will continue to make positive touches to the lives of our children with the projects we continue and the events we organize.”
Dazzling Shows from the Sports Club at Kültürpark
While the excitement in Bornova continued, Celal Atik Sports Hall in Kültürpark hosted the Children's Festival prepared by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club for April 23. The impressive shows of the students who receive training in the club's sports schools in gymnastics, judo, wrestling and taekwondo were followed with great interest by the families and spectators who filled the hall. As part of the festival, 160 young athletes participated in the taekwondo belt exam and competed fiercely to advance to the next level. The sports experience areas set up outside the sports hall also provided fun-filled moments for the children.
Proud Words from the Sports Club President
Ertuğrul Tugay, President of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club, stated that such events are a great source of pride for both athlete children, their families and sports trainers, and said, “The beautiful performances of our children, who we believe will wear the national jersey with pride in the future, made us all very happy. They are developing more and more each passing day, and most importantly, we can see that they enjoy doing sports. I once again wish my most sincere congratulations on the holiday of all the children in our club's sports schools and all the children of the world.”
Activities Contributed to Children's Development
Gizem Karayalçın, who works at the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Facilities Branch Directorate, emphasized that the events were completely free of charge and said, “Children had a lot of fun, socialized and gained important gains by doing sports.” Pool Izmir Education Manager Pınar Kardeş stated that their aim was to motivate children for sports and raise future athlete candidates. Buca Social Life Campus Pool Education Manager Berk Karagence said, “We had very nice and fun moments with our children. New friendships were made. They learned important information about swimming. Thanks to this event, their self-confidence increased and their ability to express themselves improved.”
Expressions of Gratitude and Happiness from Children
The children who participated in the events also expressed their happiness. Ada Mutlu said that she was very excited and had a great time. Remzi Gümüş, who stated that he loved swimming, expressed that he was very happy to participate in the event. Ece Ateş also expressed her satisfaction for making new friends. The children and their families, who enjoyed sports and entertainment throughout the day, thanked the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality for this meaningful and enjoyable event.
