16/06/2012 09:30
CEV President attends opening of majestic Volleyball complex in Izmir
News from the CEV
Izmir, Turkey, June 16, 2012. After undergoing a major renovation, the “Atatürk Volleyball Complex” was officially opened on Friday in combination with the home matches of Turkey women’s national team in the prelims of the 2012 CEV Volleyball European League. The ceremony was attended by CEV President André Meyer, as well as by many honored guests, including Turkey’s Minister of Transportation, the Governor of Izmir, plus many members of the TVF Board of Administration chaired by Erol Ünal Karabiyik.
The Atatürk Sports Hall was originally built in 1971 to host the Mediterranean Games and had undergone a first renovation in 2005, but still the complex did not fulfill the requirements to host major international events. After almost one year of intense work, this complex turns into Turkey’s third sports hall specifically dedicated to Volleyball, with a capacity of 6’000 seats, while the surrounding complex includes two outdoor Beach Volleyball courts, a 4-star hotel and a modern fitness centre.
CEV President André Meyer praised the result of this renovation as well as the great work done by the Turkish Volleyball Federation in recent times: “I have to express my gratitude to the TVF for the great contribution they have been giving to the development of our sport, something which is really unique in Europe. I know they still have other ambitious projects, including some 1’000 students that will be graduating soon from the Volleyball high school established and supported by TVF. The results of such massive investments are evident as Turkey recently qualified for the 2012 London Olympics with their women’s national team” said Meyer, who congratulated Mr. Karabiyik on behalf of the CEV Board of Administration.
“I feel honored to be the chairman of a Federation that has been developing so tremendously in the last few years and I am proud to attend the opening of this third complex specifically dedicated to our beloved sport” stressed Karabiyik, before cutting the ribbon together with other distinguished guests.
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