TOC President Ugur Erdener: "Winter EYOF is major opportunity for Turkish sport"

Erzurum; 11 February 2017: The President of the Turkish Olympic Committee (TOC) Professor Dr. Uğur Erdener today hailed the 2017 Winter European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) as a catalyst for major development of sport in Turkey.

Speaking on the eve of the Opening Ceremony, Professor Erdener highlighted that the 2017 Erzurum EYOF will help to inspire Turkey’s young population to take up sport and will help the TOC continue making sport accessible to young people across Turkey.

In 2011, Erzurum hosted another multi-sport event showcasing tomorrow’s sports stars by staging the Winter Universiade, where students from 52 countries around the world competed.

TOC President Professor Dr. Uğur Erdener said:

"We are delighted to be hosting the 2017 Winter European Youth Olympic Festival in Turkey. Hosting an event which showcases the finest young athletes in Europe will be a major source of inspiration for our young population, which includes approximately 30 million people under the age of 25. In hosting events such as the Winter EYOF and by running multiple youth projects, the TOC is continuing to bring sport to young people throughout Turkey.

"The TOC would like to congratulate the city of Erzurum on the excellent work it has carried out in order to stage the event two years ahead of schedule. Erzurum is a city with significant experience and expertise in hosting winter sporting events and we are confident that they will deliver a memorable experience for spectators and athletes alike."

Erzurum’s hosting of this event in 2017 was only confirmed in November 2015 when the TOC and the Olympic Committee of Bosnia and Herzegovina signed an agreement to exchange hosting rights for the 2017 and 2019 Winter European Youth Olympic Festivals.

The Bosnian cities of Sarajevo and East Sarajevo will now host the 2019 Winter EYOF.

EOC acting President Dr. Janez Kocijančič commented:

"The Erzurum 2017 Organising Committee and the Turkish Olympic Committee have prepared an incredible stage for Europe’s young winter athletes to compete against each other, but also to meet each other and share in the Olympic spirit which defines the EYOF.

"The EOC is very grateful for the hard work of the organisers in making this event possible in 2017, two years before they had originally planned to host the event in 2019.

"I wish all the athletes and officials a very successful week in Erzurum."

The EYOF is a top multi-sport competition, with winter and summer editions held biennially across Europe. The Erzurum 2017 Winter EYOF will be the 13th winter edition and is expected to attract more than 800 athletes between the ages of 14 and 18. The event will take place from 11-18 Feb and will be broadcast on the Olympic Channel for the first time.

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