Edirne city in northwestern Turkey is determined to invest in rowing sport to to improve its tourism capabilities. The town will host the U-23 European Rowing Championships. The President of TED Edirne Rowing Club has shared important information regarding the project.
Nesim IBA, the Founder of TED Edirne College and President of TED Edirne Rowing Club has provided information about the upcoming rowing course on the Meriç River and the U-23 European Rowing Championships.
Highlighting the consecutive festivals held in previous years, he stated that they planned to host actual competitions at the end of these festivals.
Regarding the progress of the rowing course, IBA said, “Currently, all materials, vehicles, and equipment for the above-water course have been obtained from abroad and they are on their way to Turkey. Under the leadership of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Rowing Federation Presidency, course preparations are ongoing.
U-23 EUROPEAN ROWING CHAMPIONSHIP TO TAKE PLACE IN FIRST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER
The U-23 European Rowing Championships will take place in the first week of September. Processes related to this event are still underway. Before that, in March, we will conduct training by organizing the Turkish Championship. As you may recall we brought the race to Edirne by surpassing Germany in the hosting race where 26 countries participated. The Meriç River is one of the world’s leading natural courses, with a width of approximately 200 meters and a length of 2,700 meters. Although a course of 2,200 or 2,300 meters would be sufficient for us, we believe it will be one of the world’s most beautiful courses in terms of its naturalness and uniqueness.”
EDIRNE WILL ALSO HOST BALKAN ROWING CHAMPIONSHIP
IBA announced good news for Turkey and the people of Edirne. After the European Rowing Championships, Edirne will also host the Balkan Rowing Championships. He said, “After the European Rowing Championships, we also applied to host the Balkan Rowing Championships. Our candidacy for the Balkan Rowing Championships was confirmed after our hosting of the European event. It is the first rowing course in the history of the Republic in Turkey.
In Scandinavian countries, rowing cannot be done because the water freezes due to weather conditions. Therefore, the easternmost course in Europe is in Edirne. One of the most important features of our course is that it is not very windy. Athletes from Scandinavian countries can stay in Edirne for months to practice this sport. We are creating this opportunity. We are establishing a permanent tourism point here. The rowing course will add great value to Edirne both in terms of vision and mission. We estimate that the number of people coming to Edirne for rowing in the coming years will be around 20,000 to 30,000. These tournaments last at least one week.”
IBA also discussed the potential benefits of the rowing course in Edirne for future Olympic Games in Turkey. Emphasizing the significant contribution of the course to the city’s development and promotion, he continued, “Edirne is a strong city in terms of tourism. We will enhance this by embellishing Edirne to bring it to the value it deserves. We are one of the countries that have won the most medals in rowing sports worldwide. Our children are going abroad to camp. Therefore, athletes were also detached from their education. With this course and area here, our children can use this opportunity without going abroad.
IMPORTANT INVESTMENT TO BE REALIZED IN EDIRNE
A significant investment will be made here. In March, we will hopefully extend our first invitation. Hundreds, thousands of athletes will flock to Edirne from all over Turkey. Subsequently, clubs and the national team will inevitably conduct their camps here. The national team center will also come here once the course is established. When the course is ready, established clubs in Turkey that have been struggling in rowing sports for years will naturally come here.”
(translated and edited from post by Doğukan Vurgun, on edirnehaber.org / 05.12.2023)
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