Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) received an award in the category of “Universities Bringing Medals to Our Country in Europe” during the “International Promotion and Awards Night” organized by the Turkish University Sports Federation (TÜSF) in Ankara.

The event was attended by TÜSF President Mutlu Türkmen, General Director of Sports Prof. Dr. Veli Ozan Çakır, university rectors, athletes, and guests. OMU was represented by Secretary General Erhan Burak Pancar, with the participation of Selman Aslan, Head of the Department of Health, Culture and Sports.

The award presented by TÜSF President Türkmen was received on stage by OMU Secretary General Pancar along with the university's athletes who had won medals in Europe.

OMU Folk Dance Team Earns High Praise

OMU’s Folk Dance Team, which had been crowned Türkiye’s Champion last year, captivated the audience with their traditional performance during the ceremony and was honored with a certificate of appreciation.

General Director of Sports Prof. Dr. Veli Ozan Çakır: “Raising our flag and bringing joy to our nation is our greatest expectation.”

Speaking at the program, General Director of Sports Prof. Dr. Çakır emphasized the progress made in university sports and said:

“With the support of our Minister, we have made significant strides in many sports branches and in university sports in particular. We expect two main outcomes from our federations. First, to raise our flag on the international stage and bring pride to our nation. Second, to popularize their branches across the country. For the University Sports Federation in particular, our biggest expectation is success on the international stage, the raising of our flag, and bringing joy to our people.”

TÜSF President Mutlu Türkmen: “Our aim is to ensure that student-athletes represent us at both national and international levels.”

TÜSF President Türkmen highlighted the federation’s goals:

“Our aim is to ensure that student-athletes represent us in competitions at both national and international levels. We also carry out efforts to increase participation in sports among non-athlete students. Under the auspices of our Ministry of Youth and Sports and in collaboration with the Higher Education Council, we actively contribute to the ‘Sports-Friendly Campus’ project. We organize activities for competitive athletes and support regular sports participation for all students.”

Following the speeches, awards were presented to the athletes and universities that achieved top rankings. OMU, with the award it received during the evening, proudly represented both the university and Türkiye.