The Turkish AirBadminton Senior National Team, which previously held a training camp in the TRNC before the International AirBadminton Championship in Bulgaria, returning with two gold medals, has once again chosen Cyprus ahead of the European Championship. As part of their camp program, the national athletes trained at the Near East University Sports Facilities. The delegation also visited the Cyprus Car Museum and the Nicosia Museum, and enjoyed memorable moments experiencing “Drift Taxi” and “Drift NEU Kart” at NEU Event Park.
The Turkish AirBadminton Senior National Team is holding a training camp in Cyprus in preparation for the European Championship. Having previously conducted their preparations in the TRNC before the International AirBadminton Championship held in Bulgaria (July 24–26), where they won two gold medals, the team is now on the island for the European AirBadminton Championship, scheduled to take place in Athens, Greece, from October 14 to 18, 2026. Trusting once again in the good fortune associated with Cyprus following their success in Bulgaria, the national athletes are preparing for the European Championship through a camp program running from October 4 to 13.
During the camp, the national team delegation visited Near East University and trained at the university’s newly completed, FIFA-standard sports complex. While utilizing the facilities offered by the modern sports infrastructure to continue their championship preparations, the athletes also had the opportunity to experience the campus’s cultural and social life firsthand. The training camp features eight athletes from Turkey and four from the TRNC National Team. The staff includes TRNC National Team Coach Seymen Deniz, Turkey National Team Coach Özge Ergan, administrator Ayhan Ağsu, and Turkey AirBadminton Coordinator Fırat Deniz.
Following the camp, the Turkish AirBadminton Senior National Team will travel to Athens to compete for medals at the European Championships. Turkey will be represented in the championship by Taha Emirhan Budak, Abdülsamet Özdemir, Semih Baha Başakın, and Hüseyin Utku Özdemir in the men’s category, and by Sümeyye Tuncer, Zişan Yaren Ceylan, and Sudenaz in the women’s category.
National Athletes Experience Sports, Culture, and Entertainment Together at Near East University!
The national team delegation, currently preparing for the European Championships, enjoyed a visit to Near East University that combined sports with culture and entertainment. Before their training session at the university’s sports facilities, the national athletes toured the Cyprus Car Museum, where they closely examined classic and sports cars from various eras and took souvenir photos. The koi fish in the museum garden also captured the athletes’ interest.
After visiting the Cyprus Car Museum, the delegation headed to NEU Event Park, where they took a fun break from their training routine by experiencing “Drift Taxi” and “Drift NEU Kart.” The athletes’ program on the Near East University campus continued with a visit to the Nicosia Museum, located in the historic Kyrenia Gate area of Nicosia. National athletes examined collections reflecting Cyprus’s history, cultural heritage, and various eras of urban life, gaining a firsthand understanding of the island’s rich cultural past.
Ömer Faris: “We hope Cyprus brings good luck to our national team once again.”
Expressing his pleasure at hosting the Turkish AirBadminton Senior National Team at Near East University, Ömer Faris, the university’s Sports Facilities Manager, said, “We were delighted to have our national team hold their training camp in Cyprus and use the Near East University sports facilities ahead of the European Championship. Our athletes had previously prepared in Cyprus before the championship held in Bulgaria last July and returned with two gold medals. We hope Cyprus brings good luck to our national team on their journey to the European Championship as well.”
Noting that Near East University continues to develop its sports infrastructure to meet the needs of various disciplines, Faris said, “With our newly completed sports complex, we aim to offer facilities of international standards to both our students and professional athletes. It is a great pleasure for us to host national athletes at our facilities and contribute to their preparation processes.”
Emphasizing their belief that the national team would achieve successful results in Athens, Ömer Faris added, “Following the two gold medals won in Bulgaria, we hope to receive more good news from the European Championship. We wish all our athletes and the technical team every success.”
