The future of sports in Balıkesir starts with sports schools.

The opening ceremony of the Youth and Sports Ministry Sports Schools, Accessible Sports Schools, and Youth Center Summer Schools, organized nationwide every year by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, was held with enthusiasm at Kurtdereli Sports Hall. The opening ceremony started with sports shows, welcoming speeches, athlete-coach procession, and continued with equipment distribution. Coaches from the Balikesir Youth and Sports Provincial Directorate provided information by introducing various sports branches to the citizens attending the ceremony. These activities are of great importance in terms of encouraging young people and children to engage in physical activity, experiencing the competitive spirit of sports, bringing together different segments of society with sports culture, and contributing to the strengthening of social ties. Deputy Governor Mustafa Ilhan expressed in his speech, “I wish a happy and productive start to the summer period GSB Sports Schools we are opening today in our province. Meeting with our young people and children is always an exciting and proud experience. We are delighted to see our young people and children involved in sports, culture, and educational activities. Our city is rapidly progressing towards becoming a society where sports culture is widespread. In recent years, significant steps have been taken in our country with investments in infrastructure and great support for sports. Today, with the opening of GSB Sports Schools, we support our children and young people to spend their summer holidays actively and healthily. Sports is an activity that not only promotes physical but also mental and social development. In GSB Sports Schools, we aim for each of our children and young people to grow up as healthy individuals under the guidance of expert coaches. We invite all our children and young people to participate in our free GSB Sports Schools.” Adem Ozalp, the Youth and Sports Provincial Director, stated, “We are entering the summer with movement” slogan in our sports schools, where we started with the enthusiasm of the ‘Year of Mobility’, our sports schools, operating in our facilities and portable swimming pools, met with 17,280 young athletes in 32 different sports branches last year. This year, we aim to meet 20,000 young people in 33 sports branches in 20 districts with approximately 150 coaches and instructors. In addition, in our Youth Centers, various activities are organized within the framework of culture, art, sports, and volunteering themes targeting two age groups, ’11-14 years’ and ’15-18 years’. In our Directorate, you will spend a summer full of rich activities such as mind and intelligence games, sports activities, values education, knowledge quiz, handicrafts, street games, art of good speaking, performing arts, volunteering activities, folk dances, basic religious knowledge, volunteering activities with families, and excursions in 10 Youth Centers.” It was emphasized at the ceremony that such activities, carried out for the development of sports and young people, contribute significantly to the spread of sports culture in the city and the active participation of young people in society. Deputy Governor Mustafa Ilhan, Institution Provincial Directors, Balikesir Youth and Sports Provincial Director Adem Ozalp, service, branch, and district managers, club presidents, ASKF President, sports branch representatives, coaches, athletes, and citizens attended the ceremony.