15.09.2025 15:50
The Turkish National Men's Basketball Team, which won a silver medal by reaching the finals of the European Basketball Championship, has returned to Istanbul. Despite losing the final match against Germany, the team made our country proud and made statements at the airport. Head Coach Ergin Ataman, who struggled to stand and fought back tears during his speech, said, "I am very sad; we missed it by a hair."
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The Turkish Men's National Basketball Team returned home after winning the silver medal at the European Championship. The national team, which landed at Istanbul Airport, was greeted with great enthusiasm. Despite losing the final match to Germany, the team made our country proud and made statements at the airport.
"I AM VERY SAD"
Head Coach Ergin Ataman, who said he was very sad for not winning the gold medal and was even struggling to stand, stated, "Of course, the silver medal after many years is a great achievement, and the Turkish nation is proud of these kids. However, I am very sad. History always writes champions, and we narrowly missed that. I apologize to our citizens who believed in us and eagerly awaited that cup in front of their screens in our country. I wholeheartedly believe that these kids, who have brought Turkish basketball back to the top of Europe, will bring this cup to our country in the near future."
"I DREAMED A LOT OF BRINGING THE CHAMPIONSHIP"
Experiencing emotional moments, Ataman said, "We would like to thank the Turkish nation, which embraced us with increasing support throughout the championship. These young people, these kids represented the Turkish flag with great determination in the best way possible until the very last second. We are proud, but I am personally very sad. I dreamed a lot of bringing the championship to the Turkish nation. We lost the championship on the last shot, but we made the Turkish people love basketball again. Therefore, I thank these kids once again," he said.
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