Category: Sports

As the 3rd European Games have officially ended with the closing ceremony held in Poland’s Malopolska region, Türkiye will remember the event with pride as Turkish athletes won 38 medals in total.

Held in 13 different cities in the Malopolska region, the event hosted 193 Turkish athletes-- 103 women and 90 men-- who represented Türkiye in 19 sporting categories.

Of the 38 medals won by Turkish athletes at the 2023 European Games, nine were gold, nine were silver, and 20 were bronze. This spectacular performance placed Turkey 9th out of 48 countries in the medal standings.

Italy took the first place in the medal list with 100 medals, including 35 gold, 26 silver and 39 bronze medals.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated the national athletes who represented the country "in the best way possible," in his tweet.

Türkiye's Youth and Sports Minister Osman Askin Bak also congratulated seven Turkish athletes who received a quota for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

National badminton player Neslihan Yigit Arin carried the Turkish flag at the Henryk Reyman Municipal Stadium closing ceremony in Krakow.

The closing ceremony held under the slogan "We Are One" featured several artists who performed in mini-concerts, stage and light shows.

The ceremony was completed with boisterous fireworks.

Source: TRTworld.com

Cyprus Sports Organization (CSO) participated at the 7th International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport (MINEPS VII) organized by UNESCO in Baku, Azerbaijan, on June 26-29.

According to a CSO press release, the main topic was the "FIT FOR LIFE" initiative which aims to accelerate the recovery of sports in the post-COVID era, support inclusive policy-making, improve well-being and youth empowerment, enhance the provision of quality physical education and actively promote equality.

In her address, CSO DG Mary Charalambous Papamiltiades said the initiative is "an important tool for systematic and multi-level cooperation between many and different partners, both at national and international level".

She noted that it is an ambitious effort and a great challenge, since its integration into national policies and its subsequent implementation requires the evaluation of various parameters, such as the particularities of each cultural context in which it is applied and the different cultures, practices and procedures of each country.

Additionally, the CSO DG emphasized that the successful implementation of this initiative presupposes, among other things, the adoption of effective coordination and priority setting mechanisms and the clarification of the financing of the action.

In the context of the Conference, updating of the existing Guidelines for Integrity in Sports was also discussed. Papamiltiades pointed out the need to include in the specific document important initiatives and actions of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) of the Council of Europe, such as the results of the IPACS Task Force 3 group, the newly established network of judges for the sport (MARS) and the European programme All In Plus for the promotion of gender equality in sports in which Cyprus also participates.

In the context of the Conference, 41 states, including Cyprus, co-signed a Joint Declaration regarding Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine and its effects on sports, expressing the solidarity of these states with the Ukrainian people.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Turkish Under-19 Men's National Basketball Team has beaten the United States 84-70 in the FIBA World Cup, scoring third place.

In the tournament in Debrecen, Hungary, on Sunday, Türkiye faced the US - the most successful team of the organisation with 8 championships.

"I congratulate the athletes, technical committees and managers who contributed to the success achieved," Turkish Youth and Sports Minister Osman Askin Bak said.

"I wish the continuation of the success of my young brothers, who came third in the world with their struggles and determination, and helped us look to the future with hope," he added.

The Turkish team started the match well, finished the first period ahead with a score of 25-18, and went ahead 39-33 at halftime.

Maintaining its score advantage in the second half, the national team won the match 84-70 in the final period, leading 56-46.

Second FIBA bronze medal

Türkiye won the bronze medal with this result for the second time in the history of the tournament, after first scoring third place in 2015.

Point guard Tan Yildizoglu played with 20 points, 8 assists; Berke Büyüktuncel with 19 points, 5 assists; Özgür Cengiz with 11 points, 5 rebounds; and Samet Yigitoglu with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

From the US, Dylan Harper's 15 points and Cody Williams' 12 points could not prevent the defeat.

Source: TRTworld.com

The 2023 Tour de France, one of the three Grand Tours in cycling, will begin Saturday with Stage 1 in Spain's Bilbao, the largest city in the Basque Autonomous Community.

The 110th edition of the 21-stage grueling contest will end July 23 in Paris' Champs-Elysees.

Established in 1903, the Tour de France is the oldest bike race and one of the major and prestigious competitions alongside Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana.

This year. 176 racers from 22 teams will compete in Tour de France.

It is the second time that Basque Country in northern Spain will host the Tour's start -- called the Grand Depart -- after San Sebastian's in 1992, and it is the 25th Grand Depart to be held abroad.

The Tour will stay in Spain for the second stage which will run between Vitoria-Gasteiz and San Sebastian. The third stage will start at Amorebieta-Etxano (Spain) but end in France's Bayonne.

Following the three stages in the west of the Pyrenees, the rest of the race will be in France, visiting six regions and 23 departments.

The 2023 race will cover 3,405 kilometers (2,115 miles) and include hill, mountain and flat surfaces depending on locations.

Riders to visit 5 French mountains, including Alps

Riders will respectively visit all five mountain massifs in France -- the Pyrenees, the Massif Central, the Jura, the Alps and the Vosges.

The Col de la Loze (2,304 meters or 7,559 feet) in the French Alps will be the highest point of this year's Tour.

The Tour de France said pound 2.3 million ($2.49 million) will be the total prize money and will include pound 500,000 to the winner of the overall individual classification.

Tour set to see Pogacar vs. Vingegaard showdown, Bernal returns

2020 and 2021 Tour de France champion, Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates and defending champion Jonas Vingegaard of Team Jumbo-Visma are expected to compete for the yellow jersey, which is handed to the winner.

Vingegaard may lack Primoz Roglic as the Slovenian cyclist previously confirmed that he will not ride in the Tour de France.

Pogacar was back in action after a major hand injury in April. He underwent surgery on a fractured wrist after a Liege-Bastogne-Liege crash, but started preparations in June for the Tour de France.

Meanwhile, Ineos Grenadiers' Egan Bernal, the 2019 champion, will return to the Tour de France after a two-year hiatus.

In 2021, Bernal was injured and skipped the Tour.

He underwent several surgeries for bone fractures, including his spine, after colliding with a stationary bus during a training session in his native Colombia in January 2022.

Cavendish in France for final time

With 34 Tour de France stage wins, British racer Mark Cavendish, 38, will pedal at the Tour de France for a final time and is seeking an all-time record.

Cavendish said he will retire at the end of the season.

The British athlete won 34 Tour de France stages from 2008 - 2021 to tie former Belgian rider Eddy Merckx, who set a Tour de France stage record in 1975.

Cavendish, who is currently competing for Astana Qazaqstan Team, won the green jersey, or the points classification, at the 2011 and 2021 races.

The green jersey is awarded to the best sprinter in the contest.

Tour de France's record champions

Cyclist

Country

Tour de France titles

1

Jacques Anquetil

France

5 (1957, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964)

Eddy Merckx

Belgium

5 (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974)

Bernard Hinault

France

5 (1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1985)

Miguel Indurain

Spain

5 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995)

5

Chris Froome

Great Britain

4 (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017)

6

Philippe Thys

Belgium

3 (1913, 1914, 1920)

Louison Bobet

France

3 (1953, 1954, 1955)

Greg LeMond

US

3 (1986, 1989, 1990)

Tour de France stage wins per racer

Cyclist

Country

Stage wins

1

Eddy Merckx

Belgium

34

Mark Cavendish

Great Britain

34

3

Bernard Hinault

France

28

4

Andre Leducq

France

25

5

Andre Darrigade

France

22

Source: Anadolu Agency

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) and the International Association Football Federation (FIFA) both confirmed Monday that the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup will take place in the Saudi city of Jeddah. The decision came following the visit by a FIFA delegation to Jeddah to assess ongoing preparations for the tournament, which is scheduled to be held from Dec. 12-22. "We are delighted that Jeddah, with its state-of-the-art facilities and reputation for hosting major international sports events, has been selected as host city for the FIFA Club World Cup," said Yasser Al Misehal, President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation. "Sport is a key driver of Saudi Arabia's ongoing transformation under Vision 2030, which has established the Kingdom as one of the fastest growing and most exciting countries in world sport," he added. This will mark the maiden FIFA Club World Cup competition held in Saudi Arabia. Founded in 2000, the Club World Cup was last won by Real Madrid in 2022. The straight knock-out competition is held among the winners of the year's AFC Champions League (Asia), CAF Champions League (Africa), CONCACAF Champions Cup (North, Central America and Caribbean), CONMEBOL Libertadores (South America), OFC Champions League (Oceania) and UEFA Champions League (Europe), along with the host nation's national champions.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Milan Trajkovic claimed the silver medal in the 110m hurdles after the completion of the event in Division 1 at the European Games held in Krakow and Malopolska.

According to Cyprus Sport's Journalists correspondent, Milan Trajkovic finished first with a time of 13.38 in the race on Wednesday, June 21st, and awaited the results of Division 1.

As only Jason Joseph from Switzerland had a better time (13.12), Milan Trajkovic secured the second position, earning the silver medal. The bronze medal went to Enrique Gómez from Spain (13.44).

It is noted that there will be no award ceremony, as Trajkovic left Poland upon completing his national team duties for Cyprus.

This is the third medal for the national team of Cyprus, following the bronze medals of Irini Kontou (Karate) and Kyriaki Kouttouki (Taekwondo).

Source: Cyprus News Agency

UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) team from Istanbul Technical University, namely ITUNOM, has won the world championship title at the AUVSI SUAS competition, the most prestigious UAV competition held in the United States.

Established in 2014, the team has achieved numerous successes both internationally and nationally. Participating in the AUVSI SUAS competition held in the United States every year since its establishment, ITUNOM UAV Team emerged as the first among 72 teams.

In previous years, here's what they have achieved:

Second place in the recent Teknofest Freestyle Mission UAV Competition

Third place in the 2021 Teknofest Combat UAV Competition

Second place in the 2021 Teknofest UAV Competition

First place in the 2019 Teknofest Combat UAV Competition

Fourth place in the 2017 AUVSI SUAS Competition

Adding another success to their list of accomplishments, the team's popularity grows alongside their innovative vehicles.

Consisting of four sub-teams: software, mechanical, avionics (flight electronics), and promotion-sponsorship, the team comprises 25 members.

Simsek, which means lightning in Turkish

They are a multidisciplinary team with members from various faculties and departments. Following their rankings at Teknofest, Türkiye’s premier aerospace and technology festival, the team continues their work with the same dedication, drawing attention to their success in the United States.

Successfully completing the challenging video and report stages that many teams failed to accomplish, the team demonstrated great determination to fulfill their mission.

With their vehicle named "Simsek" (lightning in Turkish), they successfully completed tasks such as "object recognition and classification," "obstacle avoidance," and "dropping five payloads," securing the championship title.

The young team, aiming to break new ground in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles in Türkiye, will continue working on new projects with enthusiasm.

"We demonstrated what our country's youth is capable of by being the only team that autonomously completed all tasks successfully in the competition where 72 teams from 30 different countries participated," the team said in a social media post.

"We are experiencing the justified pride of reaching our goal after nights without sleep, dedicated efforts, and hard work, overcoming the thorny paths we walked on. We extend infinite gratitude to our teammates who persevered until the last moment, overcame all kinds of challenges, and will continue to show the same effort in the coming year, as well as to those who supported us!"

"We have flown to glory!"

Source: TRTworld.com

Barcelona basketball team have condemned the racist abuse suffered by Nigerian player James Nnaji before the final against Real Madrid. According to local media reports, during the teams' arrival at the WiZink center in Madrid, where Tuesday's Liga Endesa final took place, several Madrid fans hurled insults at Barca players, including racist slurs toward Nnaji.? "Barcelona totally condemns the racist insults aimed at its basketball player James Nnaji prior to the third game of the Liga Endesa final series against Real Madrid," the Spanish club said in a statement on Wednesday. "Having informed the organizers of the competition of the events, the club expects a solid, exemplary response from the ACB against any racist or verbal abuse of players," the statement added. Barcelona won the final 93-82, claiming their 17th Spanish Liga Endesa title. A similar incident took place in football in May, as several Valencia fans hurled objects and racist slurs against Real Madrid football player Vinicius Jr. during a Spanish La Liga match. Valencia was given a 5-match partial spectator ban over the incident.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The UEFA Champions League final held in Istanbul provided a significant boost to the local economy, with thousands of fans traveling in from all around the world. The prestigious sports event showcased Istanbul as a premier holiday destination, increasing Türkiye's appetite for hosting bigger events in the future.

Source: TRTworld.com