European Youth Olympic Festival encourages students to join winter sports

A top multi-sport event for young athletes between the ages of 14 to 18, the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) is scheduled to take place in eastern Erzurum province in February, will encourage Turkish youth to do winter sports with the special project, "Şampiyon Ol" (Be a champion).

Some 1,000 students chosen from different schools will be trained in winter sports while hundreds of other students will be given instructive sessions in this field. Students will be trained in ice hockey, ice skating, skiing and curling at Turkey's Olympics Training Center (TOHM) in coordination with the Ministry of Sports and Youth. A number of talent tests will be held to choosing from among the young students.

The week-long event from Feb. 14-18 will feature nine different categories including winter sports such as Alpine skiing, snowboarding, short track speed skating, ice hockey, curling, figure skating and the biathlon. Snowboarding and freestyle skiing events will also be held, attracting amateur and professional athletes from Poland to New Zealand.

The EYOF is organized on behalf of the European Olympic Committees (EOC), which has the exclusive rights to the event. The events are held under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee.