Turkey - Sponsors boost Turkish basketball

From www.todayszaman.com
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The ongoing sponsorship trend in sports that has gained popular since the early 1990s continues to gain momentum. Like all other sports, basketball is also benefiting from this trend. The visible increase in the standard of play in the 16-team men’s BEKO Turkish Basketball League (TBL) as well as the huge financial support provided by firms that own teams in the TBL is welcomed by all those interested in this beautiful game.

Now the teams are becoming more assertive in the league and are pushing forward for top rankings in the overall standings. The purchase of the TBL rights by BEKO shows the extent of the progress. Noting that they have been serving Turkish sports in 27 different branches for 27 years, Arçelik AŞ General Director Aka Gündüz Özdemir recalls that with the sponsorship deal they signed with the Turkish Basketball Federation they believe they have contributed immensely to this sport.

However, cooperation between the private sector and sports clubs does not always yield good results. For instance, in 2000, Tofaş withdrew from the league in spite of the fact that it won all major trophies that season. The decision was particularly shocking given the fact that the team beat Efes Pilsen, one of the best basketball teams in Turkey [and Europe], in the Turkish league finals that season.

BEKO is not the only sponsonship company. Food giant Ülker added spice to the TBL by sponsoring the three İstanbul giants Galatasaray (Café Crown), Beşiktaş (Cola Turka) and Fenerbahçe. Ülker also merged its team with Fenerbahçe, now known as Fenerbahçe Ülker, and is providing massive financial support to the new team.

While Galatasaray Café Crown, Fenerbahçe Ülker, Bandırma Banvit, Beşiktaş Cola Turka, Pınar Karşıyaka and Casa TED College compete under the names of their sponsors in the TBL, Efes Pilsen, Türk Telekom, Tofaş, Tekelspor, Alpellla and Oyak Renault directly represent the companies that sponsor them. The unluckiest teams, there is no doubt about it, are those without sponsors and so have to foot the bill themselves. These include Mersin Metropolitan Municipality, Beykoz, Darüşşafaka and Selçuk University. The huge disparity between these teams and those with sponsors is clearly evident not only from the players on the squads but also from the standard of play and the results from the games.

Efes Pilsen, a beer company team, towers above all the rest as the best basketball team in Turkey. Founded in 1976, Efes has dominated Turkish basketball for years and accomplished great feats in Europe throughout the 1990s. Efes was the first ever Turkish team to win the Korac Cup in 1996.

Ülkerspor is another pioneer team in Turkish basketball. Founded in 1975 as Nasaşspor, the club has remained a moderate team for 20 years. Its purchase by the food giant Ülker in 1993 dramatically changed its fate. Just one year later it became Ülkerspor and played in the Turkish Basketball League championship match. In 12 years, it played in eight finals and won three championships. Last year, Ülkerspor merged with Fenerbahçe and changed its name to Fenerbahçe Ülker.

Pınar Karşıyaka is another sponsored TBL team. It bears this name because its sponsor is Pınar, a food company in Yaşar Holding.

A former modest local team, Banvit Bandırmaspor which was founded in 1994 became much stronger after receiving huge financial assistance from its sponsor.

Support from ponsors a must
Murat Didin (Beşiktaş Cola Turka head coach): “In a sense, the success of the teams on the courts depends on support from sponsors. Or else, how can they stand on their own two feet? The support from sponsors is a necessity. In the absence of massive external support, success on the courts would be tantamount to daydreaming.”

The players benefit the most
Oktay Mahmuti (Efes Pilsen head coach): “It is good to see growing sponsor support for Turkish basketball. Though it does not directly influence performance, sponsorship has an undeniable impact on the overall achievement of the team. For instance, thanks to the financial support, the players do not have to worry about the payment of their installments. In the absence of this kind of support, they would have been thinking over their payments, and this would have affected their performance negatively.

League quality has increased
Tolga Tekinalp (Galatasaray Cafe Crown player): “Sponsorship is a plus for Turkish basketball. It gives spectators the chance to watch quality players. It also helps improve the quality of the league. For the first time we have seen a dramatic increase in the level of support provided by the sponsors. The sponsorship law played a major role in this.”

Sponsorship is a big advantage
Harun Erdenay (Turkish national team manager): “For instance, we were in Spain for a draw. Sponsor companies were vying with each other to sign contracts with the teams. Our hope is to see Turkish basketball at that level. This would pave the way for more success. If our teams become more successful, support from sponsors will increase simultaneously.”