Emre Asikci
16 May 2026•Update: 16 May 2026
World Ethnosport Union President Bilal Erdogan said on Saturday the organization has expanded its next goal and is now working on "Ethnosports 2027," an event envisioned as the Olympics of traditional sports.
Erdogan, who attended the live broadcast of Anadolu Sports Desk, stated that sports are an important tool for passing on culture from generation to generation and despite the wrath of modernity and popular culture, people yearn for tradition.
"The point isn't to revive our traditional sports to their former glory and participation. The point is to plant the seed in the hearts of today's young generation, a seed that will connect the spirit that belongs to us with today's possibilities and today's world," he said.
He mentioned the children of Gaza, saying: "We also want to remind everyone attending the Ethnosport Culture Festival about the children in Gaza who cannot play happily and peacefully with their families."
According to their research on youths in Türkiye, he stressed that half of young people are not involved in sports.
"We believe those who have dropped out of sports, or have never engaged with them, can be brought back through traditional sports," he said.
Erdogan shares his views on Fenerbahce's situation, performance
Erdogan said his favorite sport to watch is mounted archery, but if he were to play a sport himself, it would be football.
As a Fenerbahce fan, Erdogan also shared his feelings about the Yellow Canaries, saying the team is collecting a lot of points, sitting in second place, and narrowly missing out on the championship.
"Ultimately, a footballer can lose the championship because of their morale in a single match. We need to eliminate some of the factors that affect a footballer's morale," he said.
He also said the fans, management, and players are tense. "We are all affected by this. There needs to be peace within the club," he stressed.
Erdogan stated that the 8th edition of the Ethnosport Culture Festival, to be held at Istanbul Atatürk Airport from May 21–24, is an opportunity for all countries struggling to preserve their own culture.
