Turkish Olympic Committee Celebrates Olympic Day in Istanbul
Olympic Day was celebrated on 9 June, at Istanbul Maltepe Kenan Onuk Athletics Track with the participation of hundreds of children, national rower Elis Özbay, the first female rower who will represent Türkiye at an Olympic level during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and national archer Ezgi Başaran. The children enjoyed a sports-filled day with activities such as archery, athletics, mini golf, rowing ergometer, tug of war, and multi-sport area activities.
Olympic Day, celebrated worldwide by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and National Olympic Committees, and traditionally organized in Türkiye by the Turkish Olympic Committee (TOC), was held this year with the slogans “Move, Learn, Discover” and “Let’s Move.”
Organized in collaboration with Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s (İBB) Sports Istanbul, Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports, and supported by İşbank, Olympic Day saw national athletes Elis Özbay and Ezgi Başaran joining the children in the activities, sharing their excitement and participating in sports with them.
Istanbul Provincial Director of Youth and Sports Muhittin Özbay, İBB Sports Istanbul General Manager I. Renay Onur, TOC Board Members Bilal Porsun and Şükran Albayrak, and TOC Secretary General Neşe Gündoğan also attended the event, sharing the Olympic Day enthusiasm with the children.
TOC Board Member Bilal Porsun said, “Istanbul hosted the Olympic Day once again this year. Olympic Day holds special significance this year as it is an Olympic year. We had a day full of sports and joy with our children. It was a day they enjoyed and engaged in sports. I hope each of them becomes Olympic athletes in the future.”
TOC Secretary General Neşe Gündoğan stated, “We celebrated Olympic Day with great enthusiasm on the 100th anniversary of our participation in the Olympics. Today, together with TOC, İBB’s Sports Istanbul, the Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports, and all our volunteers, we provided our children and youth with Olympic experiences in various sports. They practiced sports, danced, and celebrated Olympic Day with enthusiasm. I hope all our children make sports an integral part of their lives in the future.”
The event concluded with the distribution of participation certificates signed by IOC President Thomas Bach and TOC President Prof. Dr. Uğur Erdener. Elis Özbay and Ezgi Başaran expressed their great happiness in participating in sports with the children on a day when they were immersed in sports culture and Olympic values.
