ISTANBUL, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's cultural and financial hub Istanbul plans to bid for the 2036 Olympic Games and Paralympics, Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu said on Tuesday.
Unveiling the new plan at a grand gathering in Istanbul, Imamoglu called on all relevant institutions and the government to cooperate and work for this purpose.
"We are focusing on the biggest goal, to grant Istanbul the place it deserves on the world's sports map," he said.
Imamoglu also urged Istanbul's big sports clubs, such as Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, and Besiktas, to come together and organize all major international organizations in the city.
During the event, the mayor defined the city's new sports strategy as a philosophy of life and a movement of peace, in line with Olympism.
"With the spread of the Olympic movement, Istanbul will unite around shared excitements and joys," he said, noting that Olympism will adopt a peaceful and compatible language instead of adopting a combative one.
The municipality runs 52 sports facilities equipped with 25 pools, 42 fitness saloons, 44 tennis courts, 31 gyms, 41 football courts, eight stadiums, one athletics track, and two ice rinks across the city of 16.5 million.
According to Imamoglu, within these facilities, 30,000 children are trained in 15 sports branches annually.
"Our dream is to make Istanbul a city where millions of people engage in sports," he said.
The event lured hundreds of athletes, representatives of sports clubs and political parties, and the presidents of the Turkish National Olympic and Paralympic Committees. Enditem
