The U17 and U19 teams of the Küçük Kaymaklı Turkish Sports Club will carry out their training sessions at the Near East University Sports Complex. Having held their first practice on the professional-standard football pitch, the young players will utilize Near East University’s modern sports infrastructure throughout the season.
For the development of young footballers, the conditions offered by the facilities where training programs take place are just as important as the quality of the programs themselves. Amenities such as pitch quality, lighting, and locker room and support areas play a vital role in ensuring young athletes have access to a consistent and high-quality training environment. Under this collaboration, the Küçük Kaymaklı Turkish Sports Club’s U17 and U19 teams will train at the Near East University Sports Complex during the 2026-2027 season. Following the protocol, the young players have already completed their first training session at the facility.
The partnership between the Near East University Sports Complex and the Küçük Kaymaklı Turkish Sports Club is significant, as it opens up the university’s modern sports infrastructure for use by the local clubs. This collaboration aims to provide young footballers with superior training conditions while establishing an exemplary model for the more effective use of modern facilities within TRNC football.
FIFA-standard pitch available to young footballers
Located within the Near East University Sports Complex, the football pitch, measuring 105 meters in length and 68 meters in width, features a 7,140-square-meter playing area that meets FIFA and UEFA standards. The facility, which features a professional lighting system, also includes a 500-seat grandstand, locker rooms for football teams, showers, and other support areas.
Under this collaboration, the U17 and U19 teams of Küçük Kaymaklı Turkish Sports Club will train at the Near East University Sports Complex two days a week, in accordance with a planned schedule. This will enable youth players to train under the pitch and facility conditions required for professional football during a critical stage of their development.
Mehmet Ömer Faris, Director of the Near East University Sports Complex, hosted Ali Duvarcı (Sporting CEO of Küçük Kaymaklı Turkish Sports Club), Prof. Dr. Nazım Serkan Burgul (Administrative Manager), and Coşkun Ulusoy (Küçük Kaymaklı Academy Coordinator) at the facilities. Faris said, “With its professional-standard infrastructure, our Sports Complex provides athletes with vast opportunities to train in safe, organized, and high-quality conditions. We attach great importance to the effective use of these facilities for our country’s sports clubs and, in particular, for young athletes.” Noting that they would host the U17 and U19 teams of Küçük Kaymaklı Turkish Sports Club for the new season, Faris added, “We are ready to provide the best possible conditions for the training sessions these young footballers will conduct here. We hope this collaboration will lay the groundwork for similar initiatives with other clubs.”
Prof. Dr. İrfan Suat Günsel: “For young people to develop their talents, they need modern, high-quality sports facilities that will propel them forward, just as much as they need proper training.”
Making a statement regarding the opening of the Near East University Sports Complex for use by the local sports clubs, Prof. Dr. İrfan Günsel, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Near East Enterprises, emphasized the importance of young athletes having access to high-quality facilities for the future of sports in the country. Prof. Dr. Günsel said, “We consider the sports infrastructure we have established at Near East University as a significant asset not only for our university but for the entire country. It is highly important for us that these facilities are shared with our sports clubs and utilized in a way that contributes to the development of young athletes. For young people to improve their talents, they need modern, high-quality sports facilities that will propel them forward, just as much as they need proper training.”
Noting that the collaboration with Küçük Kaymaklı Turkish Sports Club is an important reflection of this approach, Prof. Dr. İrfan Suat Günsel said, “The U17 and U19 age groups represent a critical period in preparing young footballers for a professional sports career. We are delighted to contribute to their development by enabling them to train in facilities that meet professional standards. The advancement of football in our country will be achieved when our clubs, athletes, and institutions possessing strong sports infrastructure unite around a common goal.”
Ali Duvarcı: “We believe that the professional conditions offered by the Near East University Sports Complex will make a significant contribution to the development of our players.”
Ali Duvarcı, the Sports CEO of Küçük Kaymaklı Turkish Sports Club, expressed great satisfaction at holding youth team training sessions at the Near East University Sports Complex and emphasized that this collaboration is part of the investment being made in the club’s youth setup. Duvarcı said, “Our U17 and U19 teams are of great importance to the sporting future of our club. We believe that the professional conditions offered by the Near East University Sports Complex will contribute significantly to our players’ development. We also hope that this collaboration will serve as an example of fostering solidarity within the country’s football landscape between clubs and institutions that possess strong sports infrastructure.”