2011 WU Update: Countdown for 25th Edition has started

 25th Winter Universiade: One Year to go

Bekir Korkmaz, General Coordinator of Erzurum 2011 WU, stated that with one year to go – the games which will be held between January 27th and February 6th, 2011 – the organization is on track. ‘Seventy percent of the facilities has been completed.We dont have any problems in terms of budget. There are few deficiencies within the ice skating arenas and ski arenas, but we have adressed these problems. Now we are focusing on public relations. We are promoting the organization in the rest of Turkey and abroad. All the sponshorship kits have been completed and have been sent to many firms’, Bekir Korkmaz said.

Korkmaz added he has attented to FISU Seminar in Erzurum and said he counted on the citizens of Erzurum for the success of the Games. ‘We can not do this without their help’, Korkmaz said.

The General Coordinator also stated that the OC will be hosting six thousand people in total. Three thousand of these will be the athletes & officials and another three thousand will be volunteers. The preparation of the accomodation and transportation has been completed and experts have been brought in.

‘We don’t want the 2011 WU to finish quickly’, Bekir Korkmaz ended his speech. ‘Continuity of the facilities is important. Even after the Games these facilities should still be used and Erzurum should become a genuine center for wintersport tourism. We have a local saying that snow should turn to profit.This is exactly what we want.We are going to succeed this by becoming one body with the people from Erzurum.’