The International Ethnosport Forum, organized by the World Ethnosport Confederation, has begun with the opening ceremony. The third forum will be convened between 22-23 of February 2020 in Antalya. Accompanied by the Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Kasapoğlu, World Ethnosport Confederation President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan, and Antalya Governor Münir Karaloğlu, 200 participants; including ministers, government officials, fedration delegates, and academics from 49 countries met up in for the 3. International Ethnosport Forum conveined under the theme “Revival of Traditional Sports”.
In the forum’s opening statement, the President of World Ethnosport Confederation Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan said: “We deem traditonal sports not only as a game, a physical activity or a competition; but we see them as means to develop, build a character, and attain a higher level of mindfullness. We would also like to share the good news that the fourth International Ethnosport Forum will be held next year in Baku, Azerbaijan.”
The forum started with WEC president Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan’s opening statement and continued with speeches delviered by Youth and Sports Minister Mr. Dr. Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu, the Governor of Antalya Mr. Münir Karaloğlu, and Sports and Youth Ministers of Jordan, Mali, Ivory Coast, Somalia and Palestine. Together with WEC; Youth and Sports Ministers from 8 Countries Signed the Traditional Sports Antalya Declaration
Ideas were exchanged regarding the future of traditional sports in the panel moderated by the President of World Ethnosport Confederation Bilal Erdoğan following opening speeches. Together with the President of World Ethnosport Confederations Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan, Youth and Sports Ministers from 8 countries; including Turkiye, Azerbaijan, Ivory Coast, Mali, Pakistan, Palestine, Somalia, and Uzbekistan had signed a “joint declaration” to ensure development, support and popularisation of “traditional sports” in national and international levels. This declaration will go down in history as “Traditional Sports Antalya Declaration”.
4. International Ethnosport Forum will be Convened Next Year in Baku
In the forum, the president of World Ethnosport Confederation Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan had underlined the importance of works in local and global levels for the revival of traditional sports, and said: “We held the first of these forums in Antalya in 2018 and the second in 2019 with a great attendance in Kazakhstan. I would like to, once again, offer my thanks to Kazakhstani authorities who had hosted us. Today we are excited to be hosting over 200 participants, representing 49 countries from all corners of the world. Furthermore we would also like to share the good news that the fourth International Ethnosport Forum will be held next year in Baku, Azerbaijan.”
Erdoğan: “We are here to discuss the obstacles to the progress and the popularization of traditional sports. We must exchange ideas, and we must do so globally. We are here, enacting a platform of collective action, cooperation and consultation. We hope to reach our mid and long term aims with regards to traditional sports and games. I hope that this activity bolsters our unity and solidarity and fellowship.”
We See the Traditional Sports as a Way to Attain a Higher Level of Mindfullness Erdoğan: ”We believe the traditional sports to be richer in credence and to have a lot more philosophical depth to them, compared to olympic sports. We deem sports not only as games, physical activities or competition; but we see them as means to develop, build a character, and attain a higher level of mindfullness.
Youth and Sports Minister M. Muharrem Kasapoğlu Attended the Forum
Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu was also attending the forum, he stated that: “Our youth will build a future to be proud of if we help them make peace with their values and provide them with the opportunity to grow with the support of their traditions in the correct cultural foundation. Turkiye is here to support traditional sports with every means available, and will continue to do so. We find every action taken to protect traditional values valuable.” And continued: “We prioritised building sportive facilities. We are of the opinion that there are no equalsaround the world to the sportive progress we have carried out in the last 18 years, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
In his opening statement, the governor of Antalya Münir Karaloğlu stated: “We look to continue our support for traditional sports with the traditional Elmalılı Oiled Wrestling, which has been organized for 666 years.
