“Sports Clubs and Federations Workshop”, organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Ankara, where the current problems of Turkish sports and solution suggestions will be discussed, has started.
Making the opening speech of the 5-day workshop at The Green Park Hotel, Minister of Youth and Sports Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu emphasized that significant successes were achieved in many branches in 2019.
Reminding that the National Football Team has qualified to go to the 2020 European Football Championship, Kasapoğlu stated that they were once again proud when the National Women’s Volleyball Team received a visa for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics yesterday.
“No success is accidental.” Minister Kasapoğlu said and continued:
“Our sports community has a rising momentum. Our esteemed President has been attaching importance to sports since his term as mayor. With the outstanding efforts of our President, the “Sports Facilities Revolution” took place. With the work carried out within the framework of the vision shown by our President, we have completed our facility deficiencies in all four corners of our country. “We have the most modern facilities and stadiums in Europe.”
Kasapoğlu emphasized that all citizens, men and women, young and old, disabled and non-disabled, are included in sports in order to spread sports to the grassroots and said, “We now aim to implement people-oriented structural reforms in Turkish sports in order to increase our qualifications and ensure the continuity of success.” He commented:
“We are trying to train more elite athletes”
Minister Kasapoğlu noted that they took an important step towards reducing the bureaucracy in sports and accelerating the processes by making changes in coach training, athlete license, visa and transfer regulations.
Stating that they continue to screen for sports talents, Kasapoğlu said, “We discover young people who are talented in any sport at an early age, direct them to the relevant sports branches and ensure that they receive qualified training in those fields. In this way, we use the young population potential of our country to the fullest and increase our Olympic athlete pool as much as possible.” “We are striving to develop and ultimately train more elite athletes.” he said.
The big problem for athletes and their families is ‘Sports or education?’ Pointing out that they signed an important agreement with foundation universities to eliminate the dilemma, Kasapoğlu continued his words as follows:
“From now on, our young people will be able to do both their education on campus and their sports on the field with a 100 percent scholarship. In this way, we aimed to eliminate the disadvantageous situation our athletes face. We also have a project that we started in 2020 with the aim of teaching swimming to 1 million people. On the other hand, with our local governments, We are establishing strong collaborations with our public institutions, organizations and ministries. With our project called 10 thousand hoops, we are building multi-purpose open-air sports campuses all over our country. We have opened all of our facilities to the use of our citizens 24 hours a day. We have offered opportunities to do sports easily at any time of the day to the service of our nation. .”
“The biggest duty falls on our sports clubs”
Minister Kasapoğlu stated that they continue to work dynamically and diligently to popularize the sports culture and to achieve the goal of Turkey where everyone of all ages does more sports and said, “With our dozens of projects and sports activities covering all segments of society, we are eliminating the obstacles to sports becoming a lifestyle, one by one. At this point, I would like to underline that the biggest responsibility in spreading sports to the grassroots falls on our sports clubs.” he said.
Kasapoğlu stated that, as the Ministry of Youth and Sports, they are trying to use all the opportunities for sports clubs and said, “However, unfortunately, there are serious problems at this point. The facilities have improved, the opportunities have expanded, the share of our country in the sports market has increased, international organizations have started to take more place in our country, but “We are not at the point where we should be in terms of administrative and financial terms in terms of federations and clubs. It does not seem possible for our clubs to continue their activities, especially in football, with the current structure and understanding.” made his assessment.
Emphasizing that the current situation must be analyzed well, Kasapoğlu said, “If we want to become one of the dynamos of this industry, we have to bring a holistic perspective to football by approaching it analytically. We have to discuss the solutions to the problems in detail. Strategies that will increase the value of existing partnerships and existing assets must now be produced. Advertisement “We must implement action plans that will increase sponsorship and per-match revenues.” he said.
“In global competition, support from the private sector and the state is very important.”
Minister Kasapoğlu pointed out that sponsors are the building blocks of the sports economy and said:
“Unfortunately, we all see that there is a decrease in sponsors in Turkish sports for various reasons. Global competition
Therefore, the support from the private sector and the state is very important. But this has to be balanced. Trying to close this gap only through the state makes the state the biggest sponsor, which is not a rational step to create a sustainable system. The reasons for sponsors’ exit from the system should be analyzed accurately and they should be reintegrated into the industry. But the main issue emerges as management weaknesses in our clubs.”
Like Germany, France, England; Stating that a restructuring process should be initiated in administrative, financial and sports aspects, Kasapoğlu said, “Especially our football now needs to shape its own value with contemporary and realistic methods in administrative, financial and sports terms, with strategies and plans in line with the international perspective. Because global sporting success requires financial “We live in an age where it takes place simultaneously with administrative discipline. In order for clubs to achieve administrative and financial discipline, qualified people must be included in the management staff.” he said.
“Legal regulations are the first steps to solving the problems”
Kasapoğlu stated that the club structures in the country show a diversity that is rare in Europe and even in the world, and said:
“We have associations, joint-stock companies, institutions, branch and municipal clubs. This situation brings with it legal problems. Our Gazi Assembly, which is the manifestation of our national will, will soon pass the ‘Sports Clubs and Federations Law’, on which we provide technical and data support. As the Ministry of Youth and Sports, we are at the disposal of our Gazi Assembly in terms of sharing knowledge, experience and experience with all our stakeholders. Of course, legal regulations are the first steps to solve the problems. The ones who will make these solutions permanent with their practices are our sports clubs. In order for our clubs to get out of this vortex they are in, everyone should do it. He must take responsibility.”
Minister Kasapoğlu stated that infrastructures should be implemented in reality, not in words, and said, “The next period will be a period in which the processes of training football players, exporting football players and branding for Turkish football will accelerate. We must raise such young people and produce such squads so that our national team will be strengthened.” said.
Stating that the “Sports Clubs and Federations Workshop”, which is a first in this context and where common sense is implemented with a participatory approach, should be seen as an opportunity, Kasapoğlu concluded his words as follows:
“For the next 5 days, we will discuss all our ideas, analyses, and determinations together. We will discuss all of our problems comprehensively and produce solutions. The most important names of our sports community, all parties, all stakeholders of our ministry are with us. Our primary and primary goal is to create a strong “Together, we will find ways to achieve planned development, growth, sustainable success and overcome economic difficulties. Let’s just face our old mistakes with courage and sincerely create team spirit for a new beginning.”
On the first day of the workshop, “Future Strategies in Turkish Sports” and “Financial Problems and Solution Suggestions in Turkish Football” will be discussed.
On the second day, the titles “Solution Suggestions for Sporting Problems in Turkish Football” and “Brand Management in Turkish Football” will be discussed.
On the third day, the session “Legal Problems of Sports Clubs and Solution Suggestions” will be held.
In the last three days of the workshop, the problems and solution suggestions of Turkish sports will be discussed with clubs and federations in all branches, including Olympic and Paralympic branches.
Turkish Football Federation President Nihat Özdemir, National Football Team Coach Şenol Güneş, club and federation presidents attend the workshop.
