This was the first time in over 25 years that Turkey hosted the festival, also known as EYOF-2017, this year with the participation of some 675 athletes, including 69 Turkish athletes, from 34 countries.
The closing ceremony of the games was held at Erzurum’s Ataturk University. Despite the chilly -20 Celsius (-4 Fahrenheit) weather, many people showed up at the event to honor the winners. The last day ended with men’s ice hockey.
Speaking at the ceremony, Erzurum Governor Seyfettin Azizoglu congratulated all the participating athletes, saying: “I want to express that I was happy to host our esteemed guests for a week in this beautiful city.”
Russia won 39 medals, including 19 golds, nine silvers, and 11 bronzes, while Turkey took 11th place with two silver medals and one bronze. Bosnia and Herzegovina will be hosting the games for the festival in 2019.