NEWS

Close to 1,000 young basketball players from 40 provinces in Turkey – from Tekirdağ to Diyarbakır – came to Nevşehir, travelling a total of 20,000 km. They enjoyed a visit with Ömer Onan, successful player for the National Team and Fenerbahçe Ülker, on July 2nd. Getting together with the young basketball players, Ömer Onan both watched the talent contest and awarded the basketball players medals and participation certificates. There are no winners or losers at the festival, which was held for the ninth time this year.  For five days, children had the chance to socialize and have fun playing an abundance of basketball, touring historical sites, competing in talent contests and going on picnics.

Yıldız Holding Corporate Communications Sponsorships Director, Mehmet Koryürek, stressed that they felt it was important to be part of projects that give children the chance to engage in sports and receive training, assess the country’s potential and expand its pool of talent. Koryürek stated that as a brand that has been part of sports for years, they had collaborated with soccer and basketball clubs and federations and supported projects for children. He said that their aim was making sports a part of their lives and contributing to the raising of healthy generations.

Mehmet Koryürek continued by saying the following:  “At the Basketball Festival, which was organized by the Turkish Basketball Federation and sponsored by us, children spent five days full of happy moments in Nevşehir; they made new friends and we are certain that they are leaving with wonderful memories. We believe that what we the children we refer to as “young basketball players” will certainly be athletes and fans in the future and be individuals that reflect in their lives the values embodied in sports. We would like to thank the officials in Nevşehir for their hospitality.”

Turkish Basketball Federation Person in Charge of Domestic Activities Emre Türegün said, “Throughout our festival, 1,000 athletes, close to 100 trainers and nearly 50 referees played an active role in the event. For five days, a total of 64 teams – 48 boy and 16 girl teams from different provinces – competed in 224 matches in 5 separate gymnasiums.”

Türegün also indicated that the young basketball players would go back to their cities with the wonderful memories and friendships acquired in Nevşehir.