In the recent tournament where our National Women’s Volleyball Team—known as the “Sultans of the Net”—became European Runners-up, one phrase was emphasized above all: “Young girls can become successful athletes.” The Sultans of the Net themselves provided the most beautiful proof of this statement.
There is an even more inspiring example of the claim that young girls can become successful athletes. Our U18 Girls’ National Volleyball Team competed among the top 16 teams in the World Championship last week. Regardless of the final score, they have already proven the truth of this ambition. Furthermore, Ayşe Begüm Onbaşı, who won the gold medal at the Aerobic Gymnastics World Championship held in Portugal last March, holds a very special place among the sporting achievements of young women.
Our Pride List of Young Women in Sports
We can proudly extend this list. Our female wrestler Yasemin Adar, both an Olympic and World Champion; Deniz Selin Ünlüdağ, who won a gold medal in fencing (an achievement not yet matched even by our male fencers); our world-renowned national free diver Şahika Ercümen; and Nur Tatar, the world and European champion taekwondo athlete who won medals in two Olympics, are just a few names that immediately come to mind. All of them validate the belief that young girls can become successful athletes. They simply need to be supported and not hindered.
We can also draw examples from other nations. The legendary Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci was only 14 years old when she made history at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, becoming a global icon of what young girls can achieve in sports.
Volleyball Schools are Opening
Despite all these examples, the impact of the Sultans of the Net is unique. This is because they demonstrate the power of teamwork, emphasizing the strength of unity over individual success. This is why the stands were filled with youth and young girls during the recent World Championship in Ankara. Amateur volleyball clubs from various provinces showed that this sport is becoming increasingly popular, especially among young girls. The Sultans of the Net, many of whom were trained in the Vakıfbank Volleyball Team, are also inspiring the opening of new volleyball schools by private banks. The Turkish Volleyball Federation’s school, which opened in Afyon last year, trains children between the ages of 6 and 12, further proving that young girls can become successful athletes.
At Complex Istanbul, we support young girls in discovering sports at an early age and are carrying out many projects to take this first step. Very soon, our children’s sports school will be operational, accelerating the introduction of youth to the world of sports.