The opening ceremony of the “Sports Schools Olympics,” organized for the first time for students attending the Summer Sports Schools run by Konya Metropolitan Municipality in the districts, has been held.
At the opening ceremony held at the Selçuklu Municipality Football Field, Konya Metropolitan Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay emphasized that Konya is not only a city of ancient civilization but also a city of sports.
Wishing success to all the athletes who will compete, Mayor Altay said, “This year, 905 athletes selected from among 11,038 students in our 28 districts will take part in the District Sports Schools Olympics. The effort shown in each branch will, God willing, be the mark of Konya’s rise in sports. The children competing here today will become the national athletes, coaches, referees, and volunteers of tomorrow. But know that the greatest trophy of these Olympics will be honesty, respect, and brotherhood.”
Highlighting that Konya has recently reached very strong levels in many fields, Mayor Altay said, “We have achieved significant momentum in almost every area, including industry, agriculture, education, culture, and the arts. Alongside these achievements, we have also added our successes in sports. In particular, facilities such as Turkey’s first Olympic velodrome, an Olympic swimming pool, an athletics track, and the Konya Metropolitan Municipality Stadium, which is one of the most beautiful stadiums in the world, have provided a strong foundation for our rise in sports. In addition, we have hosted prestigious events such as the 5th Islamic Solidarity Games, the UCI Track Cycling Nations Cup, and the International Konya Half Marathon. All these projects are extremely important. However, for us, what matters most is bringing our youth—the guarantee of our future—together with sports. In this regard, we are implementing dozens of projects to ensure that our young people grow up physically strong, mentally clear, and morally sound.”
The ceremony, which featured a drum and light show, concluded with the enthusiastic parade of athletes from 28 districts who will compete in the Olympics. As part of the event, which will end on August 28, athletes will compete in athletics, badminton, basketball, bocce, darts, football, table tennis, archery, and volleyball.
