Istanbul 2020 today announced that their Bid team will be joined by some of the stars of Turkish sport in Quebec for SportAccord 2012, ready to demonstrate that theirs is a Bid with the needs of the athletes at its heart.
The Istanbul 2020 delegation includes leading member of the Bid and NOC Vice President, Hasan Arat; IOC member and President of World Archery and of the Turkish NOC, Professor Ugur Erdener; Bid team member Ali Kiremitçioğlu; national team volleyball player and FIVB World Grand Prix MVP, Neslihan Demir Darnel; President of the Turkish Tennis Federation, Ayda Uluç; and captain of the national basketball team, Hidayet "Hido" Turkoglu, currently playing for the NBA’s Orlando Magic.
Hasan Arat emphasised the active role athletes played in the development of Istanbul 2020’s sports-centric technical proposal:
"Neslihan, Ayda and Hido are not here to wear badges and pose for photographs: they are here because they have been critical to the development of a Bid that puts athletes first. Their insight into the realities of playing sport at the highest level right now has helped us create a concept that guarantees the best conditions, the best competition and the best spectacle for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020."
Neslihan Demir Darnel, whose Turkish national volleyball team qualified for its first ever Olympic Games earlier this month, said:
"Ayda, Hido and I are all very proud to be representing Turkey here at SportAccord. It is a special feeling when you represent your country – when a whole stadium is chanting your name, you want to win something for them. But nothing could compare to helping win the Olympic Games for our country for the first time ever, and I really believe that nothing would mean more to the people of Turkey."
Ugur Erdener described the sense of anticipation in the Istanbul 2020 camp:
"We are all very much looking forward to the SportAccord Convention – it is a unique opportunity in the sports calendar to meet the world’s top experts in staging international competitions and looking after athletes. Turkey has hosted more than 20 international competitions since 2004, but there is always more to learn."
Hido Turkoglu played in the Turkish team that won silver on home turf at the 2010 FIBA World Championships. He commented:
"It is great to see how quickly Turkish sport is developing. Our athletes and national teams are having more and more success on the world stage, and Turkey is getting more and more chances to prove we can host top-class competitions. Istanbul is the 2012 European Capital of Sport, and the IAAF World Championships in February were a great success. Hosting the 2020 Games would build on that momentum and make an even stronger connection with the Olympic Movement."
For more information, please contact the Istanbul 2020 media team:
media@instanbul2020.com.tr Alternatively, find us online at www.istanbul2020.com.tr
on Twitter: @2020_istanbul or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Istanbul2020
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These press releases appear as sent to Around the Rings and are not edited for spelling, grammar or punctuation.
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