When the biggest earthquake in Türkiye's recent history hit 11 cities including the province of Hatay, the whole world showed its solidarity with the thousands of people affected by it. The basketball community was no exception, with clubs, players, coaches, referees and fans all doing their part to help out.

 

At a time when the first set of support started to reach the affected families, the Turkish Basketball Solidarity and Education Foundation (BIDEV) quickly started to plan for a long-term solution for the thousands of people that were suddenly left without a home, all while receiving immediate support from Euroleague Basketball, together with its clubs, partners and associations. BIDEV’s "Basketball Village" project seeks to support those who have lost their homes due to the earthquake by installing 100 equipped containers in an area of 11,397 square meters. Inside these containers, there is basic living furniture and the necessary day-to-day utilities, such as a toilet, gas, water and internet. The "Basketball Village" will also accommodate specific social spaces for education, health care and sport, including one basketball court, which should be fully functional and ready for the arrival of the first families during April.

 

This initiative is taking place in the district of Belen in the province of Hatay, which was one of the most affected areas following the multiple earthquakes that hit Türkiye and Syria on February 6, 2023. These earthquakes claimed over 50,000 lives and left tens of thousands of people without homes.

 

"I would like to once again thank the solidarity of the Euroleague Basketball family for their reaction and the support offered to those affected by this terrible event," Marshall Glickman, Euroleague Basketball CEO, stated.  "Since the first earthquake happened, we have coordinated a general response to offer our support to all the victims who have lost their homes.  I would like to express my gratitude to Hasan Arat and his team at BIDEV for offering us the opportunity to collaborate with a foundation that has deep local roots and a project, "Basketball Village", that will make a difference for hundreds of families."

 

Mr. Hasan Arat, BIDEV’s Chairman and Founding Member, said: “BIDEV started a new project with Polimeks Holding’s Chair, Erol Tabanca, one of the founding members of our Board of Trustees, TBF and TUBAD to build “Basketball Village” in the province of Hatay, specifically the district of Belen, with the aim of meeting the essential needs of shelter and hygiene for those affected by the earthquake which caused widespread destruction in 11 cities in the south-eastern part of Türkiye. The "Basketball Village" in Belen, Hatay will contribute towards overcoming the challenges faced in the acute period following the earthquake. After the construction of the "Basketball Village" and the fulfillment of basic needs, BIDEV will keep helping children and adolescents overcome their difficulties and heal through basketball training and some educative activities. We would like to thank the Euroleague Basketball family and Marshall Glickman for their support. It is noteworthy to see Euroleague Basketball supporting Türkiye as its long-term partner after such a big disaster.”

 

The "Basketball Village" project joins the long list of charitable endeavors already developed by the members of the Euroleague Basketball family with regard to the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria. (linked to: https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-clubs-step-up-for-earthquake-relief/).

 

Euroleague Basketball would like to encourage everyone to support BIDEV's "Basketball Village" initiative by making a donation here (www.bidev.org.tr).

 

About Euroleague Basketball

 

Euroleague Basketball (EB) is a global leader in the sports and entertainment business, devoted to running the top European competitions of professional basketball clubs under a unique and innovative organizational model. Owned and administered by some of the most successful and historic clubs in the world, EB manages the continent’s two premier men’s basketball competitions, the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the 7DAYS EuroCup, as well as the sport’s premier under-18 showcase, the EB Adidas Next Generation Tournament.

 

The EB competitions bring the elite of European basketball to all five continents and to the entire sports community through the OTT platform EuroLeague TV. EB also organizes a series of community and educational activities, led by the One Team program, in alignment with the United Nations Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. On the academic side, the EB Sports Business MBA trains future professionals in sports management.

 

About BIDEV

 

Basketbol için Destek ve Eğitim Vakfı (BIDEV – Basketball Solidarity and Education Foundation) was established as a non-profit organization in 2020 with the aim of contributing to the development of Turkish basketball players through education and by supporting those who have contributed to basketball in Turkey through social solidarity. Businesspersons, current and former basketball players, trainers, referees, sport administrators and press members are all gathered to achieve this goal. Transparency and sustainability will be the basic principles of our foundation on this path. Our goal is to move forward the valuable works done in Turkish basketball up to now, to an exemplary and sustainable position through support and education. https://bidev.org.tr/