Minister Osman Aşkın Bak: "Türkiye is experiencing a sports revolution"

Athletes and coaches who achieved national and international success were honored at the "Golden Cup Night," organized for the first time this year by the Ümraniye Municipality and Sports Club. The event, held in the Ümraniye Municipality Square, was attended by Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Aşkın Bak, Ümraniye Mayor İsmet Yıldırım, Istanbul Governor Davut Gül, AK Party Istanbul Provincial Chairman Abdullah Özdemir, several officials, numerous athletes, their families, and coaches.

"Our most important task is to fight addiction"

In his speech at the program, Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Aşkın Bak stated that one of the most important tasks is combating addiction, saying, "Modern stadiums, indoor swimming pools, indoor sports halls, and athletics tracks have been built all over Türkiye. Turkey is experiencing a sports revolution. Sports facilities are everywhere, sports investments are everywhere. Our President's support is behind all of this. Let me reiterate two points from here as the Ministry of Youth and Sports: Our most important task is to combat addiction. We invite everyone to our sports halls and facilities to keep our children away from drugs, digital addiction, alcohol, and bad habits."

"We have directed 5.5 million young people towards sports through talent screening."

Minister Bak, noting that talent screenings have enabled five and a half million young people to pursue sports, said, "We are working diligently with our provincial governor's office on school sports. We've established school sports clubs in over three thousand schools. Sports are being invested in across Türkiye. Let's play sports, share, build friendships, and build excitement. Through talent screenings, we've enabled five and a half million young people to pursue sports. With our swimming pools, we've taught swimming to twelve million people and young people in nearly a thousand Olympic-sized and semi-Olympic-sized swimming pools across Turkey. Therefore, such a sports revolution is underway in Türkiye. Thanks to the efforts of our mayor in Ümraniye, we are also supporting these excellent facilities. We have opened football fields and swimming pools together and will build new ones. As our mayor mentioned, a sports village is being built. Our world-renowned athlete, our pride and joy, Mesut Özil, will contribute athletes to Turkish and global sports with this academy. We have a President who loves sports."

Ümraniye Mayor İsmet Yıldırım stated that Ümraniye has become a sought-after destination when it comes to sports, saying, "The swimming pools, multi-purpose sports facilities, sports halls, football fields, and many other investments we have brought to our district have been a stepping stone to our dreams. If our Ümraniye Municipality Sports Club hosts 1,521 licensed athletes in 19 branches of sports today and can send 6 coaches and 18 athletes to the national team, it is thanks to these investments. Furthermore, our Youth and Sports Directorate within our municipality has introduced 327,000 citizens to sports in 23 facilities and 33 branches between 2019 and 2025. While these figures are quite good results for a district municipality, we never consider them enough. Our competition should be with ourselves. We will strive to increase these numbers even further. We all see that Ümraniye has become a sought-after destination when it comes to sports. Our sports village project is the most concrete example of this goal. "Work on the first phase is progressing rapidly. Hopefully, when completed, the infrastructure of Ümraniye will transform into a system that functions like a factory," he said. Former football player Mesut Özil received the "Sportsperson of the Year" award, and judoka Sema Nur Yüksel received the "Sportsperson of the Year" award. The awards were presented by Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Aşkın Bak and Ümraniye Mayor İsmet Yıldırım.

UAV

Reporter: News Center