Istanbul’s plans for a state-of-the-art Olympic city and Olympic Village in 2020 will be the foundation of the 2020 Games’ social and sporting legacy for the city, for sale country and the Olympic Movement.
The bid’s plans for the Olympic Village holds athletes and the Olympic family at its forefront and is totally aligned with the country’s National Sports Plan, which invests some five hundred million US dollars each year into sport engagement programmes. This information was revealed at the bid’s presentation to the IOC Evaluation Commission regarding Istanbul’s sport concept for the Games in 2020.
Istanbul 2020 Director of Sport, Alp Berker, said: “Last year, Turkey’s government announced a 1.7 billion US dollar investment programme which will deliver 415 community sports facilities and 24 new venues between now and 2020. These venues will be designed specifically to meet the long-term requirements of our city and its people as the bid continues to promote sport from grassroots to elite level throughout Turkey’s population, which has an enviably large potential audience of 50% under 25 year old, and 20 million under the age of 20. Our bid believes in the ability of sport to bridge cultures, beliefs and traditions – to inspire enduring harmony.”
Istanbul 2020 has been developing the sports and venues programme in full partnership with the Olympic and Paralympic International and National Federations. With the knowledge that athletes spend around 80 per cent of their time training, the Istanbul bid has made plans for a substantial training precinct to be on their doorstep, in the Olympic Village, as well as for a major medical precinct just north of it – meaning that, for the first time, the Games can provide a Recovery Centre for all Olympic and Paralympic athletes at no extra cost to NOCs.
Turkish volleyball star, Neslihan Darnel, said: “For Istanbul 2020, there will be ideal conditions for all athletes. The only concern for athletes like me will be simply doing what we do best. And after 2020, my generation will experience a profound legacy. It will bring us state-of-the-art facilities to optimise our training, and the best coaches and personnel to help us to be great.
“I love Istanbul, and I love the Olympic Games. And just as I knew, at a young age, that I wanted to become an Olympian, I know that the Games here in Istanbul 2020 will be a catalyst for greatness, for my people, and for the people of the world”.
The bid’s presentation this morning also focused on the legacy plans for each of the proposed zones, clusters and venues. These collectively include environmental remediation programmes; residential, retail and commercial facilities; recreational facilities; and public spaces for young people to congregate throughout the city.
Plans for the Bosphorus Zone represent the most exciting of the legacy plans, since the Bosphorus, “The fabled stretch of water that unites Asia and Europe and the site of much of Turkey’s rich history”, will be one of the most iconic images of the 2020 Games. The legacy for this zone would include a high impact remediation project that will deliver sports and public spaces, as well as an entertainment precinct for the people of Istanbul.
