Ahead of tonight’s Opening Ceremony of the Winter European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) in Erzurum, Turkey, the acting President of the European Olympic Committees (EOC), Dr Janez Kocijančič, has praised the competitive and collaborative spirit which defines the EYOF experience for the young athletes involved.
From Monday to Friday next week, 650 young athletes aged between 14 and 18 from across Europe will compete for medals in nine sports during intense yet friendly competition.
Most of the athletes will be competing for the first time in an Olympic event and Kocijančič believes the unique experience will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
EOC acting President Janez Kocijančič said:
"Many of the young athletes competing in Erzurum will have ambitions of reaching the Olympic Games and being able to make a living from their sport. The Winter EYOF is a great first step for them on this journey. But it is also a tremendous life experience in its own right and I am sure that every athlete, no matter what result they achieve, will leave with a thousand positive memories of participating in this Winter EYOF in Turkey."
Excitement on the ground in Erzurum has been building for months and it was taken up another level yesterday when it was announced that the Olympic Channel would be broadcasting the event to a worldwide audience on its digital platform via olympicchannel.com and its mobile apps for Android and iOS devices.
The Olympic Channel’s coverage begins tonight at 7 p.m. local time (5 p.m. CET) with a live broadcast of the Opening Ceremony. It will continue throughout next week with daily live coverage and 20-minute highlights packages in high-definition.
Turkish Olympic Committee President Professor, Dr Uğur Erdener, said:
"Multi-sport events which bring a continent together, such as the Winter EYOF, have a special atmosphere which touches everyone involved.
"Right now in Erzurum there is a high level of excitement amongst athletes, volunteers, officials and fans as we await tonight’s Opening Ceremony, and look forward to the competition starting tomorrow.
"The Organising Committee have worked incredibly hard to prepare Erzurum for hosting this event two years ahead of the original plan to host the event in 2019. I am confident that tonight’s Opening Ceremony will be a moment of great satisfaction for everyone involved."
In addition to olympicchannel.com, the Olympic Channel’s coverage of Erzurum 2017 will also be available via the EOC website at http://www.eurolympic.org.
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