Istanbul 2020’s legacy vision buoyed by Koç Fest University Sports Games
Istanbul; 23 May 2013: Grassroots sport continues to flourish in Turkey, with the Koç Fest University Sports Games following hot on the heels of the National Youth and Sports Day and adding further impetus to the Istanbul 2020 bid ahead of SportAccord 2013.
In the past year, 20,000 student athletes from 185 universities have competed in the University Sports Games, part of Koç Fest – a youth engagement festival featuring sport, music, technology and entertainment. The high number of participants – 5,000 went on to compete in the grand finals in Adana, southern Turkey – serves to underline the enthusiasm for sport in under-25s, who account for 50% of Turkey’s population.
Last weekend Turkey staged a series of ceremonies and sports events – including an Istanbul 2020-sponsored fun run – to mark the national holiday, Youth and Sports Day. Koç Fest is an example of how Turkey’s thriving private sector is matching the state’s commitment to sports development across the country. Istanbul 2020 sponsor and Fortune-500 company Koç Holding, which owns five of Turkey’s top 10 companies, has organised Koç Fest since 2006 and its support of youth sport is part of a wider public-private collaboration to realise the potential of young people in Turkey and the surrounding regions.
Hasan Arat, Chairman of the Istanbul 2020 Bid Committee, commented:
“Sport is at the very top of Turkey’s youth agenda. Turkey has 20 million people under the age of 20 and events like Koç Fest give them a chance to participate in meaningful competition.
“It is a testament to Turkey’s growing economy that Istanbul 2020’s ambition to spark mass participation in sport is so well supported by private investment from companies such as Koç Holding. Koç Fest ’s popularity shows that sport is becoming increasingly important in young Turkish people’s lives.”
The yearly graduate output in Turkey numbers 700,000, meaning the country is equipped with a well-trained and ambitious young population. The individuals who make up this upwardly mobile demographic will shape Turkey’s future and promoting a healthy lifestyle amongst them is a crucial part of Istanbul 2020’s legacy plans.
Oya Ünlü Kızıl, Corporate Communications and External Affairs Director of Koç Holding, said:
“The culture of university sports, popularised by Koç Fest, takes on a new importance in such a time as this and Koç Fest’s investment in University Sports Games is also an investment in Turkey’s goal of hosting the 2020 Olympics.
“By sponsoring the Turkish University Sports Games we have become the ‘greatest supporter’ of university sport in Turkey. Our goals for the Koç Fest are to create successful athletes who will represent Turkey at international competitions and contribute to youth development by instilling a spirit of fair-play, friendship and tolerance amongst young people.”
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