The Traditional Sports Facility, implemented through the initiative of the Federation of Traditional Sports by corporate members of the World Ethnosport Confederation, has been opened, with President Erdoğan of the Republic of Turkey in attendance. The facility, whose opening was also attended by WEC President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan, aims to create an environment where families will be able to pass time enjoyably with its social equipment areas alongside the open and covered archery ranges, manèges, and 20-horse capacity stables.
“I BELIEVE OUR YOUTHS WILL EMBRACE IT WITH FOUR HANDS.”
Underlining how the facility will bring a breath of fresh air, Turkey’s President Erdoğan stated, “The official opening of the facility, an almost one-and-a-half-year operation, has come to fruition today. I believe our youths will fully embrace the facility. I think our facility will become one of the most enticing places in the times ahead.”
‘WE INVITE YOUTHS TO LAY CLAIM TO THEIR OWN CULTURE AND CULTURAL HERITAGE.’’
Drawing attention to the values embodied in traditional sports, Turkey’s President Erdoğan said the following:
While working to revitalize our ancestral sports, we intend to pass these values on to new generations. We invite them to lay claim to their own culture and cultural heritage. We cannot look confidently to our future without raising faithful, moral, and virtuous youths. We support every effort to eliminate years of neglect, to introduce our equestrian sports to our people, and to have our children take hold of their history.”
‘WE NEED TO CHERISH THIS LEGACY WITHIN OUR LIVES’’
The World Ethnosport Confederation President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan explained the activities being set up as follows:
Just as studies performed for endangered animal and plant lines contribute to the wealth of the world in which we live, studies performed on endangered cultural heritage have great importance. Keeping our cultural heritage alive just in encyclopedias and museums is not enough. We need to cherish this legacy within our lives. This facility, which we’ve put into operation in line with this purpose, will be an important step.’’
‘A FIRST IN TURKEY’’
Referring to the general characteristics of the facility, President of the Turkish Traditional Sport Branches Federation Hakan Kazancı emphasized this facility to be a first in Turkey and stated that they had started mobilizations and were collaborating with local governments for having this type of facility spread to other regions of the country.
