The Turkish Olympic Committee (TOC) has expanded its successful Nike backed ‘Active Kids’ project from two to five schools in Istanbul - taking the total number of participating children to 1500 - as it looks to combat physical inactivity.
The initiative, co-developed by Nike and more than 70 expert organisations, was first launched by the TOC during the 2014-15 academic year. It aims to tackle the global epidemic of physical inactivity through an active school model that promotes the benefits of physical activity before, during and after school.
As part of the expansion, the TOC has set up seminars for parents with 320 attending the first session held last weekend.
In addition, motor and anthropometric measurements of 520 children were collected and will be compared with measurements taken at the end of the year to evaluate the project’s effectiveness.
Speaking about the ‘Active Kids’ project, TOC President Professor Dr. Uğur Erdener said:
"The TOC is delighted with the popularity and success of our ‘Active Kids’ project. This is why we immediately decided to expand it to five schools. As the National Olympic Committee of Turkey, it is our responsibility to promote the mental and physical health benefits of keeping active among our nation’s youth. Through projects such as ‘Active Kids’ and ‘Free Sports Schools’, the TOC can continue to make sports accessible to the 30 million Turkish citizens under the age of 25 and help guarantee the wellbeing of our future generations."
The programme, which takes place on weekends, encourages children to be more active by inviting them to local schools to take part in a range of fun sporting activities under the supervision of qualified instructors.
Both parents and children have been surveyed to determine the physical activity and anxiety levels of participating children. The results will be analysed and published by a University in Istanbul.
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