Renovated Doğanlar Field Reopens with Goals from Children

The Doğanlar Football Field, renovated by Bornova Municipality, was reopened for children and young athletes with a U-12 Football Festival organized as part of the anniversary of İzmir’s liberation on September 9. The festival brought together 10 amateur sports clubs from different parts of Bornova, with athletes born in 2015 and 2016 competing in a spirit of friendship and brotherhood. Sharing the excitement of the athletes and their families, Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki emphasized that sport is one of the most important ways to keep children and young people away from harmful habits and said that investments in sports facilities would continue.

10 Teams, One Goal: Bringing Children Together Through Sport

The festival was attended by Bornova Belediyespor, Doğanlar SK, Bornova Mevlana, Kandere SK, Çamdibi Gücü, Çamdibi İdman Yurdu, Mersinli Şimşek, Performans Gelişim SK, Çamdibi Gençlerbirliği and Bornova FK. Friendship, rather than competition, was at the heart of the organization, with no distinction made between winners and losers. All the children, who experienced the unifying power of football throughout the day, received certificates of participation at the end of the festival.

Eşki: “The Only Solution Is to Guide Our Children Toward Sport in a Healthy Way”

Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki expressed his great satisfaction at bringing Doğanlar Field back into the service of Bornova’s sports community. Emphasizing that sports facilities are important not only for athletic success but also for children’s futures, Eşki said:

“We are living in a period when young people face enormous challenges. At a time when drug use and crime have reached very high levels among young people, the only solution is to guide our children toward sport in a healthy way. As Bornova Municipality, we will do everything we can to increase the number of sports facilities.”

Noting that Bornova is one of the cities in Türkiye with the highest number of football clubs, Eşki said, “If this is the city with the highest number of football clubs in Türkiye, then it should also be the place where the greatest number of sporting opportunities are provided.”

“We Will Create the Most Used and Best-Maintained Sports Facilities”

Emphasizing that they would continue strengthening Bornova’s sports infrastructure, Mayor Eşki stated that, alongside new facilities, existing fields would also be upgraded to provide better conditions for athletes and their families. Eşki also announced that the Yusuf Tırpancı Sports Facility would be brought into service together with its training fields, saying:

“This term, we want to create the greatest number of sports facilities, the best-maintained facilities and the facilities that are used by the most people, together with you. We have to do something not only for our children but also for the parents who come here.”

Eşki stated that work at Doğanlar Field would continue, including expanding the stands, creating a social area and a kiosk, and improving the changing rooms and restrooms.

Mayor Eşki concluded his speech by saying, “As Mustafa Kemal Atatürk said, we will help bring intelligent, agile and well-mannered athletes into our country.”

Doğanlar Field Will Serve Approximately 2,000 Athletes and Their Families

Cüneyt İnal, Director of Youth and Sports Affairs at Bornova Municipality, stated that they provide services to 49 amateur sports clubs in Bornova and that Doğanlar Field would become an important sports center, particularly for clubs in the surrounding area.

İnal said, “Approximately 12 amateur sports clubs in this area will benefit from this field. We now have an excellent facility where we can host First Amateur League and Second Amateur League matches.”

He added that the field would contribute to the sporting activities of approximately 2,000 athletes and 2,000 families.