Volkan Demirel Attends “İZÜ Spor Festivali” as Guest of Honor

The “İZÜ Spor Festivali,” organized by Turkey’s first student-established sports council, took place with the participation of former national football player and coach Volkan Demirel.

The “Spor Festivali,” organized for the first time this year by student members of the Sports Council under the SKS Daire Başkanlığı, was held at the İZÜ Stadium. The content of the festival was shaped according to the students' preferences. Organized by Turkey’s first student-established sports council, the event featured stations such as sack racing, foot tennis, trampoline, boxing machine, giant chess, and an archery platform — all of which attracted strong interest from students. The opening ceremony was attended by İZÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Cevat Acar, Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Erhan İçener, Dean of the Faculty of Sport Sciences Prof. Dr. Mustafa Zahit Serarslan, and Beşiktaş Congress Member Ahmet Çağlar.

Supporting Sports Against Digital Addiction
In his opening speech, Rector Acar emphasized the importance of physical activity in the digital age. He mentioned the advantages of the sports facilities on İZÜ’s campus for students and stated that sports should be encouraged as a means of combating digital addiction. Vice Rector Erhan İçener also expressed that the İZÜ administration supports sports activities both financially and morally and takes pride in organizing such events.

Volkan Demirel Shares His Experiences
The festival, which featured performances by the folk dance, taekwondo, and archery teams, also welcomed the participation of former national football player, sports commentator, and coach Volkan Demirel. Demirel shared his experiences in both his football career and coaching journey with the youth. During the event, awards were also presented to the İZÜ football, taekwondo, and archery teams for their achievements in inter-university competitions.