A semi-Olympic swimming pool and youth center in Didim have been declared open in a mass

inauguration of 23 youth and sports facilities across Aydin province.

Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Aşkın Bak, during a visit to Aydın, inaugurated the new facilities and emphasized the importance of sports for young people.

Mr Bak began his programme by inspecting the 1,985-person Aydın Dormitory, currently under construction on the Adnan Menderes University (ADÜ) campus. After receiving a briefing from officials, he then proceeded to ADÜ Binali Yıldırım Stadium.

At the stadium’s mass opening ceremony, 23 facilities, including a stadium, dormitories, a semi-Olympic swimming pool, and a youth center, all provided by the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Aydın, were officially opened.

A semi-Olympic swimming pool and youth centre, in addition to a 27-bed athlete training centre in Didim, were among those to be declared open.

The main ceremony began with a moment of silence and the singing of the Turkish National Anthem. The ADÜ folk dance team’s Zeybek dance, reflecting Aegean culture, drew enthusiastic applause. A promotional video detailing the construction process was shown before the opening ceremony.

Aydın Governor Yakup Canbolat stated: “In recent years, significant steps have been taken to ensure our young people in our province have access to the best opportunities in every aspect, from education and housing to sports and cultural activities.

“Among the 23 facilities we will be opening today are youth centers, sports halls, semi-Olympic swimming pools, athlete training centers, and student dormitories.

“The work carried out for our youth in Aydın is not limited to investments; our dormitories have reached a student capacity of 13,991. With our youth center and youth offices, 43,691 young people participate in various activities.

“As of November last year, there were no students in the dormitories waiting in reserve. Aydın has great potential in sports. Today, our province has over 100,000 licensed athletes, 341 clubs, and 14 national athletes.
He added that Aydin province is one of the exemplary provinces that encourage young people to participate in sports at regional and national level. “The facilities we are opening are a significant part of these efforts. These valuable investments brought to Aydın are not only concrete and structures, but also offer hope and big steps towards the future.”

In his opening speech, Minister Bak emphasized the importance of investments made for young people, saying: “As the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Türkiye is undergoing a sports revolution with sports facilities, stadiums, indoor swimming pools, gyms, and athletics tracks all across Turkey. Turkey is rapidly progressing towards becoming a sports nation. What we see here today fills us with pride.”

“Our facilities offer opportunities and a safe environment for our youth. Our young people in Aydın will continue their athletic activities here and make sports a part of their lives.”