The Turkish Olympic Committee hosted a day of games and competitions to celebrate the Active Kids project ©TOC

More than 650 children and parents came together with the Turkish Olympic Committee (TOC) to celebrate a year of work as part of a scheme run with sportswear manufacturer Nike.

Active Kids was set up by the TOC with the backing of the company to promote physical activity among students.

To mark the closure of the 2016-17 series of events, a day of games and competitions were staged in Istanbul for children from five primary schools.

Helping out on the day were staff from Nike, who handed out medals, prizes and gifts.

“The TOC is delighted that the ‘Active Kids’ project continues to grow in popularity and go from strength to strength,” said TOC President and International Olympic Committee vice-president Uğur Erdener.

TOC President Uğur Erdener said the work done in the project is very important ©Getty Images
TOC President Uğur Erdener said the work done in the project is very important ©Getty Images

“We believe it is incredibly important to encourage young people to be more active and live a healthier lifestyle.

“At the TOC, it is our responsibility to promote the mental and physical health benefits of keeping active among our nation’s youth.

“Through the ‘Active Kids’ project, thousands of children are engaging with fun and competitive sporting activities, and we will continue to look for new and innovative ways to make sport accessible to the 30 million young people in Turkey.

“We would like to thank Nike and all our important supporting organisations, without whom this great project would not be possible.”